OBJECTIVE:
To analyze the association of maternal breastfeeding time with the introduction of non-nutritive sucking habits in children attending the Baby Clinic at the Araçatuba College of Dentistry, Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita.
METHODS:
Interviews were conducted with the parents/legal guardians of 228 children, with the aim of obtaining information about the period of natural breastfeeding, the presence of non-nutritive sucking habits and the duration of the habit. A descriptive analysis of the results was performed.
RESULTS:
It was found that 42.5% of mothers nursed their children up to 6 months, and exclusive maternal breastfeeding was observed in just 13% of the sample. Amongst the children who were naturally breastfed for a period of more than 6 months, only 32.8% had non-nutritive sucking habits while 67.2% did not.
CONCLUSION:
There was an association between the length of natural breastfeeding and acquiring non-nutritive sucking habits. The habit of sucking on a pacifier was extremely prevalent in babies that only received maternal breastfeeding in the first six months of life. All of the children that were breastfed for only six months made use of a feeding bottle to complement their diet, showing that feeding bottles are still frequently used.
Breast feeding; Habits; Malocclusion; Oral health; Pacifier
