IADR Abstract Archives
Early Nutrition Habits and Oral Health in Children With ASD
Objectives: To analyze the nutrition habits of the first day’s life of Mexican children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), associated with the development of the microbiota that influences oral health.
Methods: A semi-structured interview was conducted to 22 parents of children diagnosed with ASD (6 women and 16 men, between 2 and 15 years old), from Monterrey Mexico. They were asked about the birth procedure, nutritional habits during the first 2 years of life, early ablactation and oral hygiene habits. Data was analized with SPSS 21 package
Results: 72% were born through natural birth (12 males and 4 females); 27% were born through cesarean section (4 males and 2 females). Breastfeeding was practiced by 37% (6 males and 2 females), and 63% were fed with formula (10 males and 4 females). Ablactation occurred at 6 months for 100% of the children (22 in total). Six of them had repetitive feeding, and 16 had a family diet. In terms of oral health, 41% had first-grade cavities (7 males and 2 females), 36% had second-grade cavities (6 males and 2 females), and 23% had no cavities (4 males and 1 female). Regarding oral hygiene habits, 18% brushed their teeth once a day (4 males), 55% twice a day (8 males and 4 females), and 27% three times a day (4 males and 2 females)
Conclusions: Neurodiversity and sensory processing can alter eating and oral hygiene habits in children with ASD. However, habits during the early stages, from the prenatal period to the first days of life, impact the selection of microbiota associated with the oral and overall health of the child. It is crucial to identify the prevalence of nutrition habits that influence oral health in individuals with ASD to strengthen the promotion of individualized oral health programs tailored to their neurological characteristics.
Methods: A semi-structured interview was conducted to 22 parents of children diagnosed with ASD (6 women and 16 men, between 2 and 15 years old), from Monterrey Mexico. They were asked about the birth procedure, nutritional habits during the first 2 years of life, early ablactation and oral hygiene habits. Data was analized with SPSS 21 package
Results: 72% were born through natural birth (12 males and 4 females); 27% were born through cesarean section (4 males and 2 females). Breastfeeding was practiced by 37% (6 males and 2 females), and 63% were fed with formula (10 males and 4 females). Ablactation occurred at 6 months for 100% of the children (22 in total). Six of them had repetitive feeding, and 16 had a family diet. In terms of oral health, 41% had first-grade cavities (7 males and 2 females), 36% had second-grade cavities (6 males and 2 females), and 23% had no cavities (4 males and 1 female). Regarding oral hygiene habits, 18% brushed their teeth once a day (4 males), 55% twice a day (8 males and 4 females), and 27% three times a day (4 males and 2 females)
Conclusions: Neurodiversity and sensory processing can alter eating and oral hygiene habits in children with ASD. However, habits during the early stages, from the prenatal period to the first days of life, impact the selection of microbiota associated with the oral and overall health of the child. It is crucial to identify the prevalence of nutrition habits that influence oral health in individuals with ASD to strengthen the promotion of individualized oral health programs tailored to their neurological characteristics.