Question · asked by 1 review
Breastfeeding vs No breastfeeding: Early childhood caries (ECC)
- Population
- Preschool children (<6 years)
- Intervention
- Breastfeeding
- Comparison
- No breastfeeding
- Outcome
- Early childhood caries (ECC)
After excluding five studies, breastfeeding was associated with lower ECC risk in cohort studies (RR 0.82, 95% CI 0.71 to 0.95; I²=0%).
What each review found
Include earlier review versionsNo studies found 0 · 0%GRADE not reported 3 · 100%Very low 0 · 0%Low 0 · 0%Moderate 0 · 0%High 0 · 0%
| Finding | Effect | Studies | GRADE certainty |
|---|---|---|---|
Breastfeeding vs No breastfeeding Dental caries (ECC) · Preschool children under 6 years of age · First dental examination before age 6 years, Clinical, field, or unclear dental examination settings, Cohort studies; sensitivity analysis excluding studies 37, 41, 45, 53, and 56 After excluding five studies, breastfeeding was associated with lower ECC risk in cohort studies (RR 0.82, 95% CI 0.71 to 0.95; I²=0%). Association of Breastfeeding and Early Childhood Caries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. (2024) All outcomes | RR 0.82 [0.71, 0.95] | 5 studies | GRADE not reported |
Breastfeeding (exclusive or partial, any duration) vs No breastfeeding Dental caries (early childhood caries) · Preschool children (<6 years) · Preschool children in high- and middle-income countries; caries assessed in clinical or field/community settings, Case-control studies In case-control studies, any breastfeeding versus no breastfeeding was not significantly associated with early childhood caries (OR 1.04, 95% CI 0.78-1.38; ungraded). Association of Breastfeeding and Early Childhood Caries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. (2024) All outcomes | OR 1.04 [0.78, 1.38] | 5 studies · 1022 participants | GRADE not reported |
Breastfeeding (exclusive or partial, any duration) vs No breastfeeding Dental caries (early childhood caries) · Preschool children (<6 years) · Preschool children in high- and middle-income countries; caries assessed in clinical or field/community settings, Cohort studies In cohort studies, any breastfeeding versus no breastfeeding was not significantly associated with early childhood caries (RR 0.98, 95% CI 0.77-1.26; high heterogeneity; ungraded). Association of Breastfeeding and Early Childhood Caries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. (2024) All outcomes | RR 0.98 [0.77, 1.26] | 10 studies · 8506 participants | GRADE not reported |
Findings are shown side by side, never pooled across reviews.
The reviews
| Review | Searched up to | Included studies | AMSTAR 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Association of Breastfeeding and Early Childhood Caries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. 2024 All outcomes | 13 May 2023 (databases searched from inception) | 61 | Not applicable |
How reviews are matched to this question
Reviews word the same question differently. Four decision models (TypeSafe's Jev, Liquid AI's d1-ultra, SubQ Snap and Baseten's Elephant) judged each wording of the population, intervention, comparator and outcome against the others; two wordings count as the same when at least three of them agree and none clearly disagrees, and findings count as this question only when all four elements match. Timing, setting and subgroup never split a question: they are shown on each finding.