Assessment of parental knowledge, experiences, and practices regarding infant teething in the Malwa region: An observational study

Deepika Sharma¹ image, Ashish Saxena2 image, Ajay Parihar3 image, Shikhar Pratap Chauhan4 image

Highlights

Providing accurate teething information to parents and expectant mothers is crucial. Educational programs should effectively engage diverse community segments.

Parents in Malwa often reported diarrhea as a teething symptom, using allopathic remedies, while those with higher education and socioeconomic status had better teething knowledge.

This study highlights the need to educate parents about the risks of self-medication and emphasizes the importance of seeking professional advice when delays in tooth eruption occur.

Abstract

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge of parents residing in the Malwa region regarding infant teething, their experiences with teething-related symptoms in their children, and the strategies employed to alleviate these symptoms during infancy. Methods: A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based observational study was conducted among 300 parents of children aged 3–6 years attending routine dental check-ups. A convenience sampling approach was utilized to recruit participants. A self-designed, validated questionnaire comprising 14 items was employed to collect data on sociodemographic characteristics, parental knowledge of teething, observed symptoms, and management practices. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data, and the Chi-square test was applied to evaluate associations between variables. Results: The majority of participants were aged 25–30 years. Among the respondents, 40.3% correctly identified the typical age range (6–9 months) for the eruption of primary teeth, while 73.7% recognized delayed eruption as a possible indicator of systemic health issues. The most reported teething-related symptom was diarrhea (49.7%), followed by runny nose and fever, with vomiting being the least frequently observed symptom. Allopathic medications were the most utilized interventions for symptom relief (68.0%), followed by homeopathic remedies and teething rings. Conclusions: Parents in the Malwa region frequently reported diarrhea as the predominant symptom associated with teething and commonly used allopathic treatments for management. Higher educational levels and socioeconomic status were associated with greater knowledge and understanding of teething-related issues.

Keywords: Health Knowledge; Signs and Symptoms; Systemic Disease; Teething; Tooth Eruption

Author Affiliations

  1. MDS, Department of Pediatrics & Preventive Dentistry, Govt. College of Dentistry, India (Correspondence:deepikapcds@gmail.com)
  2. Professor, Department of Pediatrics & Preventive Dentistry, Govt. College of Dentistry, India
  3. Professor, Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Govt. College of Dentistry, India
  4. Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics & Preventive Dentistry, Govt. College of Dentistry, India
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Article Info

Contemp Pediatr Dent 2024:5(3):126-135

Received: 20 July 2024

Accepted: 25 November 2024

Online First: 19 December 2024

DOI: 10.51463/cpd.2024.36

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					Deepika Sharma, Ashish Saxena, Ajay Parihar, Shikhar Pratap Chauhan. Assessment of parental knowledge, experiences, and practices regarding infant teething in the Malwa region: An observational study. Contemp Pediatr Dent 2024:5(3):126-135.

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