Abstract
The purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of postnatal feeding methods on the development of oral function in children. The subjects were 1357 children ranging from 2 years to 5years of age, the average age being 3 years 7 months. The questionnaire was answered by their parents concerning prenatal conditions and development of sucking and chewing. Subjects were then classified into three groups based on feeding method until the first three months after birth, these being the breast-fed (Br), the bottle-fed (Bo) and the mixed-fed (Mix) groups.
The results obtained were as follows:
1. The ratio of feeding methods for each group was 29.4% in the Br group,59.8% in the Mix group and 10.8% in the Bo group.
2. As for the weaning process, such as the starting and terminating age of feeding with baby food and the termination of the breast and/or bottle feeding, there was no significant difference in any of these items among the groups.
3. As seven items of the 18 items concerning the way of eating at present, such as being good or poor at chewing foods, disliking foods which need to be bitten off with the front teeth, spewing out foods from the mouth, dropping food from the mouth, the number of meal times a day and eating food by oneself were found to be significant, the children in the Br group were tended to show a much better development.
4. Significant differences were found among three groups concerning other items such as finger sucking, use of a pacifier, retardation of verbal development and characteristics.
In conclusion, these results suggest that the development of the oral function in children could be affected more than a little by the postnatal feeding methods.
