Breastfeeding for oral health in preschool children

This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows:

Primary
  •  To compare the rates of dental caries in children who were bottle fed as infants to children who were breastfed up to six months, between 6 and 12 months, or longer

Secondary
  • To compare the rates of dental caries in children who were: demand breastfed, non-demand breastfed

  • To compare the rates of dental caries in children who were: breastfed via direct nursing, breastfed via a bottle, bottle fed with infant formula

  • To compare the rates of dental caries in children who were: exclusively breastfed, partially breastfed, exclusively bottle fed with infant formula

  • To compare the rates of dental caries in children who were: breastfed during day and night time, breastfed during the day only

This review examines the hypotheses that breastfed children would have lower rates of dental caries than bottle fed infants.

This is a protocol.