Access to information on oral hygiene and mothers' practices of children with microcephaly caused by Zika virus.

OBJECTIVE

To verify whether access to information about oral hygiene influenced the practices of caregivers of children with microcephaly caused by Zika virus (ZIKV).

METHODS

A case series study was developed at the Mens Sana Rehabilitation Center, in the municipality of Arcoverde, Pernambuco, Brazil. The study universe included the mothers of 32 children with microcephaly caused by Zika virus. Data collection took place in June 2018 and was carried out through a structured questionnaire. The variables studied comprised socioeconomic issues, habits, diet, and knowledge about oral hygiene. Fisher's Exact and Pearson's Chi-square tests were used with a significance level of 5%.

RESULTS

Out of 32 individuals eligible to participate in the study, only 27 were selected. Most mothers reported receiving information about oral hygiene from their infants (63.0%). Fisher's Exact and Pearson's Chi-square tests showed that access to oral hygiene information was associated with mother's education, family income, regular visits to the dentist, frequency of tooth brushing, age at which the infant started brushing, and brushing time (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Access to information about oral hygiene positively influenced the oral health care of mothers with their children with microcephaly caused by ZIKV.