Nutrition and Oral Health Guidelines for Pregnant Women, Infants, and Children

• Published in: Journal of the American Dietetic Association 1998-02, Vol.98 (2), p.182-189
• Main Authors: FITZSIMONS, DINA, DWYER, JOHANNA T, PALMER, CAROLE, BOYD, LINDA D
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Babies; Biological and medical sciences; Care and treatment; Child, Preschool; Children; Children & youth; Dental Care; Dental Caries - prevention & control; dental health; Dental hygiene; Female; fetal development; fluorides; Fluorides - administration & dosage; growth; Guidelines; Guidelines as Topic; Health aspects; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Infants; Male; Medical sciences; Mouth; Mouth Diseases - prevention & control; Nutrition; Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Oral Health - standards; Oral Hygiene; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications - prevention & control; Pregnant women; Prenatal Care; Prevention and actions; preventive dentistry; preventive nutrition; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Specific populations (family, woman, child, elderly...); teeth; women
• ISSN: 0002-8223; 2212-2672; 1878-3570; 2212-2680
• DOI: 10.1016/S0002-8223(98)00044-3

Good oral health care and nutrition during pregnancy, infancy, and childhood are essential but often overlooked factors in the growth and development of the teeth and oral cavity. Pregnant women and parents and caregivers of infants and children often receive little guidance about proper preventive dental and oral health care, including fluoride and dietary measures. Pregnant women can maintain their health through proper diet, good oral hygiene, and appropriate use of fluoride. An adequate diet during gestation is important for optimal oral development of the fetus. To promote good oral health in infancy, caregivers need to provide the infant with appropriate amounts of fluoride in addition to a healthful diet. As the teeth erupt into the mouth, the caregiver needs to clean the teeth thoroughly on a daily basis. When solid foods are introduced in later infancy, it is also important to limit the frequency of caries-promoting fermentable carbohydrates between meals. Good oral hygiene habits and dietary practices that emphasize minimum exposure to retentive, fermentable carbohydrates; use of fluoridated water; and a varied, balanced diet should continue throughout childhood to set the stage for optimal oral health for a lifetime. J Am Diet Assoc. 1998;98:182–189.