Positive Health Online

Abstract

KARJALAINEN and colleagues, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, University of Turku Finland, as part of the long-term prospective randomised dietary intervention at age 7 months to prevent exposure of children to known atherosclerosis risk factors (the STRIP baby project), report the oral effects of the dietary intervention in the children and their parents when the children had reached 3 years of age.

Background

Methodology

Every fifth family of the main study was invited to this substudy (n = 179) and 148 were studied. The families studied were representative of the intervention and control groups and both genders with regard to intake of saturated fatty acids, dietary polyunsaturated fatty acid to saturated fatty acid (PUFA/SAFA) ratio and serum cholesterol and HDL cholesterol concentrations.

Results

There was no difference in sucrose consumption between the intervention and control groups; however intervention children received relatively more energy from carbohydrates than control children, used less fat and had a higher PUFA/SAFA ratio in their diet. 93% of the 3-year old children were caries free; dental decay was similar in the intervention and control children. Control children brushed their teeth unassisted more often than intervention children. Intervention fathers received more energy from carbohydrates, intervention mothers used less fat and had a higher PUFA/SAFA ratio in the diet than control fathers and mothers, respectively. Dental and periodontal health of intervention and control parents also showed no differences.

Conclusion

: A 29-month period of a low-saturated-fat, low-cholesterol but high-carbohydrate diet as advocated in the STRIP baby trial had no harmful effects upon the oral health of the children or their parents.

References

Karjalainen S et al. Oral health of 3-year-old children and their parents after 29 months of child-focused antiatherosclerotic dietary intervention in a prospective randomized trial. Caries Res 31(3): 180-5. 1997.