The Development of Oral Functions in the First Year of Life: the Importance of Breastfeeding and the Prevention of Risk Factors of Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders
Pasqualina Andretta, Anna Rita Beghetto, Chiara Perer
The present study has the double objective of: 1) investigating how widespread the practice of natural breastfeeding is among mothers of the general population and assessing their knowledge on breastfeeding and development of oral functions and stomatognathic system; 2) creating a tool for promoting natural breastfeeding and prevention of risk factors of Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMD). This study, conducted as a Web-survey between July and August 2018, was attended by 1,163 women. From the analysis of the data conducted, it emerged that 96.90% of respondents began to breastfeed their baby naturally and 45.92% of women integrated this type of breastfeeding with artificial breastfeeding, without making it, however, prevalent and exclusive. As for knowledge about breastfeeding and development of oral functions/stomatognathic system, the research showed that 45.23% of women were not aware, before completing this questionnaire, of the relationship between breastfeeding and physiological development of oral function and the stomatognathic system. To respond to the lack of awareness of women on this issue, it was decided to create a brochure with the intent to promote natural breastfeeding and prevent some risk factors of OMD.
Keywords
Breastfeeding, Orofacial myofunctional disorders, Oral functions, Stomatognathic system, Speech language therapist.