Mastication development in low birth weight infants and dietary education

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25463462
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Lifelong developmental nursing
• Research Institution: Akita University
• Principal Investigator: HIRAMOTO IZUMI 秋田大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 教授 (60272051)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): OHTAKA MAIKO 秋田大学, 大学院医学系研究科保健学専攻, 助教 (50465803) ; HATAKEYAMA ASUKA 秋田大学, 大学院医学系研究科保健学専攻, 助教 (10710113)
• Research Collaborator: SHIGA HIROSHI 日本歯科大学, 歯学部歯科補綴学第一講座, 教授 ; 秋田市民間保育所協議会(会長 : 澤口勇人) ; 秋田県横手市教育委員会 ; 秋田県歯科医師会(会長 : 藤原元幸) ; 秋田県小児保健会(会長 : 高橋勉) ; 秋田県ひらか歯科医師会(会長 : 赤澤茂樹, 後藤浩美, 松野才) ; 秋田県養護教諭協議会(佐々木真弓, 高橋和恵)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 小児看護学 / 低出生体重児

Outline of Final Research Achievements

To elucidate mastication development in low birth weight infants and examine measures to establish a support system for early discovery and intervention for mastication-related problems, a survey to obtain basic data through objective evaluation of mastication in infants was conducted.
A total of 865 children in Akita Prefecture. Subjects were administered a questionnaire, their mastication was tested using a gummy-jelly mastication testing kit, and their occlusal pressure was measured using a simple occlusal force meter. Results revealed that the amount of glucose eluted through chewing of the gummy-jelly and the maximum occlusal pressure increased with growth from infancy to school age. This suggested associations between the developmental age of teeth, sex, birth weight, and age on admission to nursery school. In addition, considering the possibility that mastication development of low birth weight infants might not catch up with that of other children by school age.

Free Research Field

医歯薬学