Doctoral Dissertation Improvement: Deciduous tooth emergence, nutritional status, and weaning and feeding decisions in the Brazilian Amazon

博士论文改进：巴西亚马逊地区的乳牙出现、营养状况以及断奶和喂养决策

• 批准号: 1260745
• 负责人: Debbie Guatelli-Steinberg
• 金额: $ 2.51万
• 依托单位: Ohio State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2013-04-15 至 2016-03-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1260745&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Doctoral; Dissertation; Improvement; Deciduous; tooth

This research investigates how prenatal and postnatal nutrition relate to dental eruption and, in turn, the role of the developing dentition in mothers' weaning and feeding decisions. Weaning age is a critical life history characteristic because of the recognized relationship between breastfeeding and inter-birth intervals, and, ultimately, mothers' lifetime reproductive success. Links among weaning age, maternal condition, and infant nutrition and growth have been found in both non-human primates and humans. In addition, human mothers use infants' growth and developmental status as a cue when making weaning and feeding decisions. This research, by doctoral student Jennifer Spence (Ohio State University), under the guidance of Dr. Guatelli-Steinberg, addresses a relatively unexplored yet significant question: how the developing dentition is involved in these relationships.Using anthropometric assessment and ethnographic methods, this research 1) employs a reliable technique of gauging gestation duration to accurately evaluate the association between prenatal maternal nutritional status and postnatal infant nutritional status, and the timing of deciduous (primary) tooth emergence; 2) determines the extent to which the timing of deciduous tooth emergence is related to the age at which the weaning process begins; and 3) investigates how the presence of deciduous teeth affects mothers' weaning and feeding decisions. It is hypothesized that both maternal and infant nutrition are associated with the timing of deciduous tooth emergence, which is in turn predicted to influence weaning and feeding decisions. This project is set among Ribeirinho populations in the eastern Brazilian Amazon, an area characterized by nutritional stress and with variation in weaning and feeding practices.This research is part of a STEM initiative familiarizing underserved public-school students with the social sciences, particularly anthropology. The project promotes collaboration with Brazilian non-academics through inclusion of local women in data collection and academics through a university seminar. A campaign is planned to create and disseminate nontechnical material in local communities to encourage good nutrition and dental health.

本研究调查了产前和产后营养与牙齿萌出的关系，以及牙齿发育在母亲断奶和喂养决策中的作用。断奶年龄是一个关键的生命史特征，因为母乳喂养和生育间隔之间的关系已得到公认，并最终影响母亲一生的生殖成功。在非人类灵长类动物和人类中都发现了断奶年龄、母体状况、婴儿营养和生长之间的联系。此外，人类母亲在做出断奶和喂养决定时，会将婴儿的生长和发育状况作为线索。这项研究是由博士生詹妮弗·斯宾塞（Jennifer Spence）（俄亥俄州州立大学），在Guatelli-Steinberg博士的指导下，解决了一个相对未探索但重要的问题：发育中的牙列是如何参与这些关系的。使用人体测量评估和人种学方法，本研究（1）采用了一种可靠的测量妊娠持续时间的技术，以准确评估产前母亲营养状况与本研究的目的是：（1）确定婴儿出生后的营养状况和乳牙（乳牙）出现的时间;（2）确定乳牙出现的时间与断奶过程开始的年龄之间的关系;（3）调查乳牙的存在如何影响母亲的断奶和喂养决定。据推测，产妇和婴儿的营养与乳牙出现的时间，这反过来又影响断奶和喂养的决定预测。该项目以巴西亚马逊东部的Ribeirinho人口为背景，该地区的特点是营养紧张，断奶和喂养方式各不相同。这项研究是STEM计划的一部分，旨在让服务不足的公立学校学生熟悉社会科学，特别是人类学。该项目通过让当地妇女参与数据收集来促进与巴西非学者的合作，并通过大学研讨会促进与学者的合作。计划开展一项运动，在当地社区制作和传播非技术材料，以鼓励良好的营养和牙齿健康。