Findings

What do systematic reviews say?

8 questions · 13 findings · 1 reviews · Dental caries · All outcomes

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No studies found 0 · 0%GRADE not reported 13 · 100%Very low 0 · 0%Low 0 · 0%Moderate 0 · 0%High 0 · 0%

Growth stunting (linear growth retardation, low height-for-age) vs Children without growth stunting (normal height-for-age)

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

The bi-directional relationship between growth stunting and early childhood caries: a rapid review. 2023 All outcomes
Nigeria (Ile-Ife, sub-urban) · Folayan et al. 2019 (Nigeria; adjusted, model 3)
APR 0.14 [0.03, 0.69]
1 study · 370 participants
GRADE not reported
The bi-directional relationship between growth stunting and early childhood caries: a rapid review. 2023 All outcomes
Brazil · Vieira et al. 2020 (Brazil)
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 outcomes
2-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

Show 1 more finding

The bi-directional relationship between growth stunting and early childhood caries: a rapid review. 2023 All outcomes
Indonesia (Makassar, Tamalanrea); community health center · Achmad et al. 2020 (Indonesia)
MEAN 7.37
1 study · 208 participants
GRADE not reported

Mouth pain vs No mouth pain

Body‐mass index z score (zBMI) · Children aged 1–6 years

The review reported lower body mass index-for-age z scores in children with mouth pain.

1 finding from 1 review

The bi-directional relationship between growth stunting and early childhood caries: a rapid review. 2023 All outcomes
Vietnam · Mouth pain
MD 0.29
1 study · 593 participants
GRADE not reported

Early childhood caries / severe early childhood caries vs Caries-free controls

Change in height-for-age z score · Children aged ≤6 years (early childhood)

The association between baseline caries and declining height-for-age persisted after adjustment (coefficient -0.02); ungraded.

1 finding from 1 review

The bi-directional relationship between growth stunting and early childhood caries: a rapid review. 2023 All outcomes
~9.73-month follow-up · China (preschool children) · Shen et al. 2019 (China; adjusted)
Regression coefficient -0.02 [-0.04, 0.01]
1 study · 1111 participants
GRADE not reported

Pulp-involved caries vs No pulp-involved caries

Body‐mass index z score (zBMI) · Children aged 1–6 years

The review reported lower body mass index-for-age z scores in children with pulp-involved caries.

1 finding from 1 review

The bi-directional relationship between growth stunting and early childhood caries: a rapid review. 2023 All outcomes
Vietnam · Pulp-involved caries
MD 1.18
1 study · 593 participants
GRADE not reported

Baseline caries vs Lower baseline caries

Change in height-for-age z score · Preschool children (<6 years)

The review reported an unadjusted negative association between baseline caries and change in height-for-age z score.

1 finding from 1 review

The bi-directional relationship between growth stunting and early childhood caries: a rapid review. 2023 All outcomes
Mean follow-up 9.73 months · China · Unadjusted model
coefficient -0.03 [-0.04, 0.01]
1 study · 1111 participants
GRADE not reported

Early childhood caries / severe early childhood caries vs Caries-free controls

Stunting · Children aged ≤6 years (early childhood)

One Nepalese cross-sectional study found caries severity significantly correlated with chronic malnutrition/stunting (HAZ; p<0.0001), especially in rural children; ungraded, no effect size reported.

3 findings from 1 review

The bi-directional relationship between growth stunting and early childhood caries: a rapid review. 2023 All outcomes
Nepal (urban and rural) · Tsang et al. 2019 (Nepal)
The severity of child caries measured by the dmft index correlated with mouth pain and both chronic (stunting) and acute malnutrition (HAZ score) (p<0.0001).
1 study · 836 participants
GRADE not reported
The bi-directional relationship between growth stunting and early childhood caries: a rapid review. 2023 All outcomes
Vietnam (south and central; ages 1-6) · Khanh et al. 2015 (Vietnam; pulp-involved caries)
MD 0.66
1 study · 593 participants
GRADE not reported
The bi-directional relationship between growth stunting and early childhood caries: a rapid review. 2023 All outcomes
1-year follow-up · Cambodia (children <24 months at baseline) · Renggli et al. 2021 (Cambodia)
OR 1.8 [1.0, 3.0]
1 study · 1307 participants
GRADE not reported

Pulp-involved caries vs No pulp-involved caries

Mean weight‐for‐age z‐score · Children aged 1–6 years

The review reported lower weight-for-age z scores in children with pulp-involved caries.

1 finding from 1 review

The bi-directional relationship between growth stunting and early childhood caries: a rapid review. 2023 All outcomes
Vietnam · Pulp-involved caries
MD 1.17
1 study · 593 participants
GRADE not reported

Early childhood caries / severe early childhood caries vs Caries-free controls

Risk of malnutrition (younger children, 6 months to 6 years) · Children aged ≤6 years (early childhood)

One Nepalese cross-sectional study found no significant association between severe ECC and malnutrition risk in children under 6 (mean difference 0.13, p=0.609); ungraded.

1 finding from 1 review

The bi-directional relationship between growth stunting and early childhood caries: a rapid review. 2023 All outcomes
Nepal · Zahid et al. 2020 (Nepal; children 6 months-6 years)
MD 0.13 [-0.64, 0.38]
1 study · 273 participants
GRADE not reported