Risk factors in the appearance of oral diseases and their relationship with breastfeeding in women from the San Isidro Los Planes community

Abstract

The general objective of this study was to explore the risk factors in the appearance of oral diseases and their relationship with breastfeeding. The Human Development Report El Salvador 2013 of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) -in its proposal for the design of public policies- raises the need for effective interventions that ensure the right of people even before their birth and the guarantee of adequate living conditions for women of childbearing age and pregnant women. Malnutrition constitutes a risk of considerable importance to human health. In the newborn, breastfeeding satisfies all its nutritional needs, in addition to positively influencing maxillofacial development. In this qualitative research, the units of analysis were twenty-five mothers of children under five years of age living in the canton of San Isidro Los Planes, two pediatric dentistry specialists and two orthodontists. Among the conclusions, it is highlighted that mothers know the importance of breastfeeding and oral hygiene techniques in the adequate feeding of the baby, but they are unaware of its importance as an aid in the musculofacial and skeletal development of the child. They also stated that they know about oral hygiene techniques, but do not practice them; Likewise, specialists assure that children who are breastfed have a faster and more adequate transition to solid food.