Parent Attitudes in Regard to Suckling Termination

Questionnaire findings

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the attitudes of parents in regard to suckling termination in their children. Three hundred forty-eight parents whose children received a health examination at the age of 1 year 6 months at a public health center agreed to participate in a survey related to the process of suckling termination and their attitudes in regarding this issue. In addition to answering the questionnaire, caries prevalence in their children was also investigated. The following results were obtained.

1)One hundred fourteen (32.8%) of the children continued to suckle at the age of 1 and a half years.

2)Of the 114 who continued a suckling habit, that for breast-feeding was the most common reason given (83). The majority (n＝79) of those children suckled before going to sleep at night as well as during the night, and their parents did not attempt to stop that behavior. The most common reason given for allowing continued suckling was because of child preference.

3)Of the 234 children who had terminated suckling, the majority (n＝137) had spontaneously stopped the habit. The most common reason given for achievement of suckling termination was because the child was easily able to eat age-appropriate foods (n＝109).

4)Caries prevalence in children who had terminated suckling was 6.8% (16/234), while that of children who continued suckling was 21.9% (25/114), which was a statistically significant difference.

Our results suggest that suckling can be smoothly terminated with development of feeding function. In addition, the risk of dental caries is increased in children who have not terminated the habit by the age of 1 year 6 months.