Effect of mode of delivery and feeding practices on acquisition of oral Streptococcus mutans in infants

International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry 2012; 22: 197–202 Objective. It is a well‐established fact that colonization of S. mutans occurs early in life. The purpose of this study is to determine the correlation between mode of delivery and other associating factors with colonization of oral S. mutans in the infants. Methods. The newborns were divided into two groups according to the mode of delivery: Infants who were delivered by either caesarean section (Group‐C) or vaginally (Group‐V). A total number of 60 mother–infant pairs were included and followed for 1 year. The swab samples were collected for the detection of S. mutans. Results. Analysis of data demonstrated the possible influence of prolonged bottle feeding (P = 0.007), socioeconomic status (P = 0.00030) and tasting of food by the mothers (P = 0.0065) on the initial acquisition of S. mutans in the oral cavity of infants. Conclusion. The causes for initial acquisition of oral S. mutans in infants were postnatal factors like feeding and oral hygiene practices.