AVALIAÇÃO DO POTENCIAL ACIDOGÊNICO DO LEITE MATERNO EM CRIANÇAS COM DIFERENTES EXPERIÊNCIAS DE CÁRIE

Abstract

Given that breastfeeding after 1 year old has been reported by some studies as a risk factor for early childhood caries (ECC), and it is unknown whether breast milk is metabolized in a structured oral biofilm in children with ECC leading to pH drops, the objective of this study was to evaluate the milk acidogenic potential in oral biofilm of non-exclusive infants with and without caries, using sucrose as a control. Biofilm pH measurement were performed in vivo in 16 children (average 35.2 months) divided into two groups: caries-free (n = 9) and early childhood caries (ECC) (n = 7). In both groups, samples of saliva and plaque were collected for microbiological evaluation. The acidogenicity if oral biofilm was evaluated in a cross shape after breastfeeding or exposure to 10% sucrose solution in both groups of children through measurements of pH (resting pH, pH30min, pH5min, pH variation in 5 minutes and AUC6.5) using a touch microelectrode. Higher counts of mutans streptococci was found in biofilm of children with ECC (p<0.05). Comparing children with or without caries, milk treatment showed no difference for the variables of pH, but sucrose caused a greater ��pH5min in biofilm of children with ECC (p=0.0317). Within a group, sucrose caused a greater pH drop in the biofilm of caries-free patients than human milk (p=0.0423). For individuals ECC, the sucrose solution also showed a greater acidogenic potential than milk for the variables pH5min (p=0.0308), ��pH5min (p=0.018) and AUC6.5 (p=0.0104). Human milk had no acidogenic potential in oral biofilm of breastfed children, regardless of caries activity. Together, these data support the hypothesis that human milk is not cariogenic, and that the consumption of other carbohydrates should be considered in breastfed infants with early childhood caries.