Alya Isam Elgamri^1†, Azza Tagelsir Ahmed^1,2†, Omer Elfatih Haj-Siddig³, Judith R Chin⁴

1 . Department of Paediatric Dentistry, University of Khartoum, Sudan.

2. Department of Cariology, Operative Dentistry, and Dental Public Health, Indiana University School of Dentistry, USA.
3. Ministry of Health, Sudan.
4. Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Nova Southeastern University, USA.

† These authors contributed equally to this work

Emails:

• Alya Isam Elgamri – A.elgamri@hotmail.com
• Azza Tagelsir Ahmed – Azzatagelsir@hotmail.com
• Omer Elfatih Haj-Siddig – Omer1_23@hotmail.com- Judith R Chin – jchin1@nova.edu

Abstract

Background: The term Infant Oral Mutilation (IOM) refers to the aggressive cultural rituals where primary canine tooth germs of infants are enucleated for therapeutic reasons.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence and risk factors for IOM among inner city pre-school children in Khartoum.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 212 randomly selected children from twelve government pre-schools in Khartoum were examined for the presence of IOM. Socio-demographic, feeding and teething-related data were collected by self-administered questionnaires.

Results: The mean age of the sample was 4.7 years. The prevalence of clinical IOM was 10.8%. Multivariable regression analysis revealed that children who suffered from diarrhea during teething were 7.15 times more likely to have clinical IOM over their counterparts (p<0.0001). Mothers who were educated below elementary school level were 2.69 times more likely to have children showing clinical IOM (p= 0.0369).

Conclusion: The present study showed that the practice of IOM is common among inner city children. Certain teething-related symptoms especially diarrhea and maternal education could be strong determinants of the malpractice of IOM.

Keywords: Infant oral mutilation (IOM), traditional practices, pre-school children, Sudan.

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ahs.v18i2.21

Cite as: Elgamri AI, Ahmed AT, Haj-Siddig OE, Chin JR. Infant oral mutilation (IOM) related to traditional practices among inner city preschool children in Sudan. Afri Health Sci. 2018;18(2): 359-368. https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ahs.v18i2.21

 Infant oral mutilation (IOM) related to traditional practices among inner   city pre-school children in Sudan.PDF