Early childhood caries

Early childhood caries (ECC), also known as baby bottle caries, baby bottle tooth decay, and bottle rot, is a disease characterized by severe decay in the teeth of infants or young children. Early childhood caries are a very common bacterial infection. They occur in all areas of the world. In the US its rate are highest in minority and rural populations, at times infecting over 70% of the children. ECC occurs more often in children from the lower end of the socioeconomic scale. A large body of scientific evidence indicates that ECC is an infectious and transmissible disease, with Streptococcus mutans the primary microbiological agent in the disease. The disease process begins with the transmission of the bacteria to the child, usually from the primary caretaker. Caretakers with untreated dental disease present a very high risk to their children.

Causes

Frequent consumption of liquids containing fermentable carbohydrates (e.g., juice, milk, formula, soda) increases the risk of dental caries due to prolonged contact between sugars in the liquid and cariogenic bacteria on the teeth. Poor feeding practices without appropriate preventive measures can lead to a distinctive pattern of caries in susceptible infants and toddlers commonly known as baby bottle tooth decay (BBTD), a form of severe early childhood caries (ECC). Frequent bottle feeding at night, and extended and repetitive use of a no-spill training cup are associated with ECC. Children experiencing caries as infants or toddlers have a much greater probability of subsequent caries in primary and permanent teeth.

Early childhood

Early childhood is a stage in human development. It generally includes toddlerhood and some time afterwards. Play age is an unspecific designation approximately within the scope of early childhood. Some age-related development periods and examples of defined intervals are: newborn (ages 0–5 weeks); infant (ages 5 weeks – 1 year); toddler (ages 1–3 years); preschooler (ages 3–5 years); school-aged child (ages 5–12 years); adolescent (ages 13–19).

Psychology

In psychology the term, early childhood is usually defined as the time period from the age of two until the age of six or seven years. There are three simultaneous development stages:

Physical growth and development

In this phase there is significant synaptic growth and myelination of neural fibers in the brain, especially within the frontal lobes. For example, between the ages 2 and 6, the brain increases from 70% of its adult weight to 90%. The growth of the brain is followed by a surge in cognitive abilities. Around the age of five, children start speaking properly and master their hand to eye coordination.