Studies on a program of dental health education for mothers with infants

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The purpose of this study was to examine the dental health behavior and the needs toward the oral health among mothers with a young child. The subjects were 1468 pregnant women who gave in the notices of pregnancy at community health centers in Hiroshima from February to April in 1994. The questionnaires added the items such as the needs and conceins toward the oral health to HU-DBI,which was an instrument for assessing dental health behavior, were sent to the subjects four times (when they were early pregnant and at four, nine, and eighteen months after childbirth). The mother who answered a questionnaire was mailed the leaflet concerned with the maternal and child dental health every time. The analyzed subjects were 614 mothers (mean age 28.0 yrs at early pregnant), who replied to all of the questionnaires sent by mail. The main results were as follows :1.The mean score of HU-DBI was significantly greater after childbirth than before childbirth. The importance of giving dental health guidance at pregnant was discussed, especially laid emphasis on mother's gingiva from the point of view of preventing the periodontal disease.2.The needs toward oral health among mothers was high, for example a large majority of mothers hoped the oral health check-up for themselves.3.The mothers were much concerned with their child's oral health from about nine months after childbirth.These findings suggest that it is important to educate about dental health for mothers from being pregnant to eighteen months after childbirth systematically.