Prevalencia de caries temprana de la infancia en niños con enfermedades respiratorias crónicas

Abstract

I ntroduction: Children with chronic health conditions may have an increased risk for developing caries. Although the literature on early childhood cavities (ECC) is extensive, little is known about its prevalence in children with these conditions. Objective: To determine the prevalence of ECC in children with chronic respiratory disease (CRD) at Luis Calvo Mackenna Hospital in Santiago, Chile, and to determine their association. Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed on 120 children aged 2 to 5 years 11 months, a study group of 60 children with CRD and a control group of 60 healthy children were analyzed. ECC was diagnosed meeting the ALAPD criteria, an oral exam conducted by an operator under standardized conditions. The Stata 11 program was used for statistical analysis. Results: The prevalence of ECC was 53% in children with CRD and 25% in healthy children (p < 0.0001). The value of odds ratio for children with CRD was 7.046 showing an increased risk of ECC compared with healthy children. (95% CI: 2.372 to 20.929). Conclusion: In this population, children with CRD have a high prevalence of ECC. In this sample, a statistically significant association between ECC and CRD was found.