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Objective: The aim of the present study is to investigate the duration of breastfeeding in relation to various parafunctional oral habits in children with anxiety disorders., Materials and Methods: The study includes 195 children and adolescents with anxiety disorders and age- and gender-matched 255 healthy control subjects. Diagnoses were made with semistructured interview (K-SADS). Information about breastfeeding and parafunctional oral habits was investigated via a questionnaire prepared for the study., Results: The mean age was 11.50 ± 2.50 years for clinical group and 11.27 ± 2.33 years for controls. Fifty-four percent of the clinical group and 56% of the control group were female subjects. Duration of exclusive (4.72 ± 2.86, 5.55 ± 2.36; p = 0.002) and total breastfeeding (12.38 ± 10.32, 15.89 ± 9.09; p < 0.001) was significantly lower and duration of bottle-feeding (22.30 ± 19.54, 16.64 ± 12.79; p = 0.005) was higher than controls in the clinical group. Duration of exclusive breastfeeding was significantly correlated with duration of bottle-feeding (r = -0.263, p < 0.001) and duration of pacifier use (r = -0.249, p = 0.001). Multiple regression analysis showed that duration of exclusive breastfeeding (β = 0.88, p = 0.006) and bottle-feeding (β = 1.02, p = 0.005), as well as various oral habits, was associated with diagnosis of an anxiety disorder., Conclusion: Nutrition methods in early years of life may result in long-term consequences regarding anxiety disorders for children. Clinicians should encourage parents for a shorter duration of bottle-feeding and a longer duration of exclusive breastfeeding.

Introduction: Although children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were reported to have insufficient breastfeeding, consequences and oropharyngeal implications of this finding have not been studied. In this case-control study, we aimed to investigate early feeding practices and parafunctional oral habits in children with ADHD., Subjects and Methods: The study group consisted of 200 children and adolescents, 7-17 years old, diagnosed as having ADHD at Marmara University Child Psychiatry Clinics in Istanbul, Turkey. The Conners Parent and Teacher Rating Scales were used to assess behavioral disturbances. A questionnaire was developed consisting of items pertaining to breastfeeding period, early feeding history, and parafunctional oral habits. The study data were compared with those for 175 healthy schoolchildren after exclusion of possible ADHD cases., Results: The children with ADHD were found to have insufficient exclusive breastfeeding (less than 6 months) (p=0.0001). The children with insufficient exclusive breastfeeding were more likely to have a history of bottle feeding, longer duration of bottle feeding, and early introduction of bottle feeding (p=0.01). Overall, significant differences were detected on the domains of duration of bottle feeding, introduction of bottle feeding, introduction of pacifier use, variables of nail and toenail biting, as well as pencil biting, bruxism, and snoring between the ADHD group and the control group., Conclusions: The present results indicate that early in life, children with ADHD are subject to insufficient exclusive breastfeeding, different feeding practices, and elevated parafunctional oral habits more often than typically developing children. For all professionals who provide healthcare to children, increased awareness and attention to these factors are suggested.