Question · asked by 1 review
Breastfeeding for more than 24 months vs Not breastfed at the same age or breastfed for a shorter duration: Early childhood caries (ECC) - incidence/risk
- Population
- Children with exclusively primary dentition (age ≤71 months)
- Intervention
- Breastfeeding for more than 24 months
- Comparison
- Not breastfed at the same age or breastfed for a shorter duration
- Outcome
- Early childhood caries (ECC) - incidence/risk
Breastfeeding beyond 24 months is associated with an increased risk (incidence) of early childhood caries versus not breastfeeding at the same age (RR 2.44, 95% CI 1.97 to 3.02; low certainty).
What each review found
Current versions only| Finding | Effect | Studies | GRADE certainty |
|---|---|---|---|
Prolonged breastfeeding for more than 24 months vs Not breastfed at the same age or breastfed for a shorter duration Early childhood caries (ECC) - incidence/risk · Children up to 71 months (early childhood; primary dentition) · Up to 71 months of age (study follow-up 1-9 years), Population/community-based birth and childhood cohort studies; multiple countries (mostly Brazil and Japan; also Thailand, Scotland, Uganda, Spain, Australia, Myanmar, USA, Netherlands, Norway), More than 24 months Breastfeeding beyond 24 months is associated with an increased risk (incidence) of early childhood caries versus not breastfeeding at the same age (RR 2.44, 95% CI 1.97 to 3.02; low certainty). Risk of Early Childhood Dental Caries Associated With Prolonged Breastfeeding: A Systematic Review and… (2025) All outcomes | RR 2.44 [1.97, 3.02] | 2 studies | Low |
Findings are shown side by side, never pooled across reviews.
The reviews
| Review | Searched up to | Included studies | AMSTAR 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Risk of Early Childhood Dental Caries Associated With Prolonged Breastfeeding: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. 2025 All outcomes | Up to May 17, 2024 | 41 | 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.