Alterations in the primary teeth of children with microcephaly in Northeast Brazil: a comparative study

Rafaella Máximo Pereira Siqueira; Maria Teresa Botti Rodrigues Santos; Glória Maria Pimenta Cabral

doi:10.1111/ipd.12402

Alterations in the primary teeth of children with microcephaly in Northeast Brazil: a comparative study

Int J Paediatr Dent. 2018 Jul 2. doi: 10.1111/ipd.12402. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Rafaella Máximo Pereira Siqueira¹, Maria Teresa Botti Rodrigues Santos², Glória Maria Pimenta Cabral³

Affiliations

¹ Dentistry for Patients with Special Needs, School of Dentistry Studies and Research, João Pessoa, Brazil.
² Postgraduate Program in Dentistry, Cruzeiro do Sul University, São Paulo, Brazil.
³ Graduate in Dentistry, Higher Education Institute of Paraiba, Cabedelo, Brazil.

PMID: 29968396
DOI: 10.1111/ipd.12402

Abstract

Background: The outbreak of microcephaly between 2015 and 2017 in Brazil created an international public health emergency.

Aim: This study sought to evaluate the chronology, sequence of eruption, and the presence of anomalies amongst children with microcephaly compared with normoreactive children.

Design: A comparative study of 108 children aged 0-2 years attending public services was conducted. The microcephaly group (MG; n = 54) and the nonmicrocephaly group (NMG; n = 54) were matched by age, gender, and family income at a 1 : 1 ratio. Erupted teeth and the presence of anomalies were evaluated and compared. Chi-square tests, Pearson's correlations, Fisher's exact tests, and Student's t-tests were applied (α = 0.05).

Results: No between-group differences were found with regard to gender (P = 0.560) or age (P = 0.529). The MG presented with a higher percentage of alterations in eruption sequence, opacity, self-injury, and delayed eruption compared with the NMG (P < 0.05). The MG was more likely to exhibit changes in tooth eruption sequence (OR = 12.23, 95% CIs = 3.25-46.03, P < 0.001), delayed eruption (OR = 23.12; 95% CIs = 7.09-75.40, P < 0.001), and opacity (n = 12.19, 95% CIs = 1.44-103.28, P = 0.022) than the NMG.

Conclusion: Children with microcephaly present with greater delays in chronology, alterations in eruption sequence, and enamel defects than normoreactive children.