Objectives Early childhood caries is a challenging public health problem in the United States and elsewhere; however, there is limited information concerning risk factors in very young children. The purpose of this study was to assess baseline risk factors for 18-month caries prevalence as part of a longitudinal study of high-risk children. Methods 212 children 6–24 months of age were recruited from a rural community in Iowa. Subjects were enrolled in the WIC program, which provides nutritional support for low-income families with children. Dental examinations using d1d2-3 criteria were conducted at baseline and after 18 months. Caries prevalence was determined at the frank decay level (d2-3 or filled surfaces), as well as at the non-cavitated level (d1), and combined (d1, d2-3 or f surfaces). Risk factor data were collected at baseline and after 9- and 18- months. These data included beverage consumption data, presence of visible plaque, and use of fluoride toothpaste for children as well as mutans streptococci (MS) levels of mothers and children and family socio-demographic factors. Results 128 children (60%) remained in the study after 18 months. Among these children, prevalence of d-1d2-3/f level caries increased from 9% to 77%, while d2-3/f level caries increased from 2% to 20%. Logistic regression models for baseline predictors of d2-3f caries at the 18-month follow-up found presence of MS in children (OR=4.4; 95% CI: 1.4, 13.9) and sugar-sweetened beverages (OR=3.0; 95% CI: 1.1, 8.6) to be the only significant risk factors. Socio-demographic factors and use of fluoride toothpaste were not significant in these models. Conclusions Results suggest that early colonization by MS and consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages are significant predictors of early childhood caries in high-risk populations.

Objectives-Dental caries in early childhood is an important public health problem. Previous studies have examined risk factors, but they have focused on children during the later stages of the disease process. The purpose of this study was to assess the factors associated with caries in children aged 6 to 24 months as part of a cross-sectional analysis.Methods-Two hundred twelve mothers with children 6 to 24 months of age were recruited from Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children clinic sites in southeastern Iowa for participation in a longitudinal study of dental caries. Baseline assessments included detailed questions regarding the children's beverage consumption, oral hygiene, and family socioeconomic status. Dental caries examinations using the d 1 d 2-3 f criteria and semiquantitative assessments of salivary mutans streptococci (MS) levels of mother and child were also conducted. Counts of the number of teeth with visible plaque were recorded for maxillary and mandibular molars and incisors.Results-Of the 212 child/mother pairs, 187 children had teeth. Among these children, the mean age was 14 months, and 23 of the children exhibited either d 1 , d 2-3 , or filled lesions. Presence of caries was significantly associated with older age, presence of MS in children, family income < $25,000 per year, and proportion of teeth with visible plaque.Conclusions-Results suggest that not only microbial measures, including MS and plaque levels, are closely associated with caries in very young children, but that other age-related factors may also be associated with caries. Continued study is necessary to more fully assess the risk factors for caries prevalence and incidence in preschool children.

In this pilot study, we determined that intraplaque enhancement could be reliably evaluated with the use of cross-sectional imaging and analysis of vessels/plaques by use of conventional neuroanatomic MR imaging protocols. In addition, we observed a strong association between intraplaque enhancement in severe intracranial atherosclerotic disease lesions and ischemic events with the use of conventional MR imaging. Our preliminary study suggests that T1 gadolinium-enhancing plaques may be an indicator of progressing or symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic disease.

Background and Purpose This work sought to mathematically model infarct growth and determine if infarct volume growth can be predicted by angiographic assessment of pial collateral recruitment in an experimental Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion (MCAO) animal model. Materials and Methods Pial collateral recruitment was quantified using DSA, acquired 15 minutes following permanent MCAO in six canines based on a scoring system (Pc) and arterial arrival time (AAT). MRI based infarct volumes were measured 1,1.5,2,3,4 and 24 hours following MCAO and parameterized in terms of growth rate index (G) and final infarct volume (VFinal) as V(t) = VFinal (1−e (−G*t)). Correlations of G and VFinal to Pc and AAT were assessed by linear bivariate analysis. Correlations were used to generate asymptotic models of infarct growth for Pc or AAT values. Pc and AAT based models were assessed by F-test and residual errors. Results Evaluation of pial collateral recruitment at 15 minutes post occlusion were strongly correlated with 24-hour infarct volumes (Pc: r2=0.96, p<0.003; AAT: r2=0.86, p<0.008). Infarct growth, G, had strong and moderate linear relationships to Pc (r2 = 0.89; p<0.0033) and AAT (r2 = 0.69; p<0.0419), respectively. VFinal and G were algebraically replaced by angiographically based collateral assessments to model infarct growth. F-test, demonstrated no statistical advantage to using Pc- over AAT-based predictive models despite lower residual error in the Pc-based mode (p<0.03). Conclusion In an experimental permanent MCAO model, assessment of pial collaterals correlates with infarct growth rate index and has the potential to predict asymptotic infarct volume growth.