Number of detected salivary bacterial genera · Young children with early childhood caries and caries-free controls
Fewer salivary bacterial genera were reported in the caries-affected group, without a comparative effect estimate or CI.
1 finding from 1 review
Relative abundance of dominant salivary microbial community (7 genera) · Young children with early childhood caries and caries-free controls
The reported multi-genus community had similar relative abundance in caries-affected and caries-free children, without a comparative effect estimate or CI.
1 finding from 1 review
Streptococcus mutans and Veillonella spp. levels · Young children with early childhood caries and caries-free controls
Veillonella spp. levels were reported as substantially greater in caries subjects, but the review gave no numerical effect estimate or CI.
1 finding from 1 review
Relative abundance of Veillonella spp. · Children under 6 years with severe early childhood caries and caries-free controls
Veillonella spp. mean relative abundance was lower in the S-ECC group; no comparative effect estimate or CI was reported.
1 finding from 1 review
Relative abundance of S. mutans in saliva · Children under 6 years with severe early childhood caries and caries-free controls
S. mutans median relative abundance was higher in the S-ECC group, without a comparative effect estimate or CI.
1 finding from 1 review
Streptococcus relative abundance · Children under 6 years with severe early childhood caries and caries-free controls
Streptococcus mean relative abundance was slightly higher in the S-ECC group; no comparative effect estimate or CI was reported.
1 finding from 1 review
Veillonella spp. and Streptococcus mutans interaction · Children under 6 years with severe early childhood caries and caries-free controls
The study reported a possible role for Veillonella spp. in supporting cariogenic species, without a quantitative effect estimate.
1 finding from 1 review
Veillonella spp. may promote proliferation or survival of cariogenic species, as shown for interactions between Veillonella spp. and S. mutans.
1 study · 82 participants
GRADE not reported
Veillonella dispar relative abundance · Children under 6 years with severe early childhood caries and caries-free controls
Veillonella dispar median relative abundance was higher in the S-ECC group, without a comparative effect estimate or CI.
1 finding from 1 review
Early childhood caries (ECC) · Children aged 0-5 years in North Africa
Spoon sharing with household members was associated with higher odds of ECC (OR 8.79).
1 finding from 1 review
OR 8.79 [2.92, 26.51]
1 study
GRADE not reported
Early childhood caries (ECC) · Children aged ≤6 years (early childhood)
One Nigerian cross-sectional study reported a significant adjusted association between nutritional (stunting) status and ECC (APR 0.14, 95% CI 0.03-0.69); ungraded.
4 findings from 1 review
APR 0.14 [0.03, 0.69]
1 study · 370 participants
GRADE not reported
Correlation (r) -0.091
1 study · 82 participants
GRADE not reported
The bi-directional relationship between growth stunting and early childhood caries: a rapid review. 2023 All outcomes2-year follow-up · Ecuador (rural) · Sokal-Gutierrez et al. 2016 (Ecuador; pre vs post intervention)
Pre/post ECC prevalence, dmft, and deep-caries proportion (2-year follow-up) Age 1: prevalence 53.8% to 30.3%, dmft 2.1 to 0.9; Age 2: prevalence 82% to 60%, dmft 5.3 to 3.0, deep caries 19% to 12% (pre vs post)
1 study · 1575 participants
GRADE not reported
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Relative abundance of S. mutans in saliva · Individuals assessed for dental caries, predominantly children with early childhood caries (ECC) or severe ECC (age about 1 to 4 years)
A few small studies report Streptococcus mutans relative abundance in caries versus caries-free children without pooling; the evidence is ungraded and not meta-analyzed.
1 finding from 1 review
Relative abundance of Veillonella spp. · Individuals assessed for dental caries, predominantly children with early childhood caries (ECC) or severe ECC (age about 1 to 4 years)
Evidence on whether Veillonella spp. relative abundance is higher or lower in children with dental caries than caries-free controls is inconsistent across 7 small observational studies; no pooled estimate was produced and the evidence is ungraded.
1 finding from 1 review
Early childhood caries (ECC) · Children with average age >3 years
No significant association between cesarean vs vaginal delivery and ECC among children with average age >3 years (OR 1.24, 95% CI 0.89-1.71).
1 finding from 1 review
OR 1.24 [0.89, 1.71]
14 studies
GRADE not reported
Early childhood caries (ECC) · Children with average age ≤3 years
No significant association between cesarean vs vaginal delivery and ECC among children with average age ≤3 years (OR 0.86, 95% CI 0.67-1.10).
1 finding from 1 review
OR 0.86 [0.67, 1.10]
10 studies
GRADE not reported
Early childhood caries (ECC) · Healthy children under 6 years in South Africa
No significant difference in caries odds was found between mixed breast-and-bottle-fed and bottle-fed-only children (meta-analysis reported no difference; pooled estimate in an unavailable supplementary figure; not GRADE-rated).
1 finding from 1 review
Early childhood caries (ECC) · Healthy children under 6 years in South Africa
Parental tertiary education (vs high-school education) was associated with about 1.8 times higher odds of early childhood caries in South Africa (OR 1.77, 95% CI 1.22-2.57; 2 studies; not GRADE-rated).
1 finding from 1 review
Early childhood caries (ECC) · Healthy children under 6 years in South Africa
No significant difference in caries odds was found between bottle-fed-only and breast-fed-only children (meta-analysis reported no difference; pooled estimate in an unavailable supplementary figure; not GRADE-rated).
1 finding from 1 review
Early childhood caries (ECC) · Healthy children under 6 years in South Africa
No significant difference in caries odds was found between children of low- versus high-SES parents (meta-analysis reported no difference; pooled estimate in an unavailable supplementary figure; not GRADE-rated).
1 finding from 1 review
Early childhood caries experience (mean dmft) · Nigerian children with primary dentition (approximately 6 months to 5 years)
In primary dentition, high-frequency sugar consumption was associated with slightly higher, non-significant odds of caries (OR 1.13, 95% CI 0.23 to 5.44), with high heterogeneity (I2=83%; ungraded).
1 finding from 1 review
Early childhood caries (ECC) - incidence/risk · Children with exclusively primary dentition (age ≤71 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).
1 finding from 1 review