Objective. To describe the epidemiologic literature related to early-life feeding practices and early childhood caries (ECC) with regard to publication attributes and trends in these attributes over time. Methods. Systematic literature review including electronic and manual searches (in BIOSIS, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, LILACS, MEDLINE, Web of Science, and WHOLIS), covering the years 1990–2013. Attributes of publications meeting a priori inclusion criteria were abstracted and organized by global region and trends over time. Attributes included country of origin and study design of included publications and age and caries prevalence of the populations studied. Results. 244 publications drawn from 196 independent study populations were included. The number of publications and the countries represented increased over time, although some world regions remained underrepresented. Most publications were cross-sectional (75%); while this percentage remained fairly constant over time, the percentage of studies to account for confounding factors increased. Publications varied with respect to the caries experience and age range of children included in each study. Conclusions. Publication productivity regarding feeding practices and ECC research has grown, but this growth has not been evenly distributed globally. Individual publication attributes (i.e., methods and context) can differ significantly and should be considered when interpreting and synthesizing the literature. 1. Introduction Early childhood caries (ECC) is a multifactorial disease [1], with early-life feeding practices as an appealing target for caries prevention. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry defines ECC as the presence of any primary tooth surface that is decayed, filled, or missing due to caries in a child under the age of six [2]. ECC is a potential source of pain, infection, and reduced quality of life for children and families [3, 4] and heightens the risk of dental caries in the permanent dentition [5, 6]. Untreated caries in the primary dentition is one of the most common conditions globally [7], and as many as 60–90% of school-aged children worldwide experience dental caries [8]. Feeding habits for infants and young children play a contributory role in caries development [9, 10], and behaviors that limit added sugar, reduce bottle use, and serve defined meals or snacks have positive implications for oral health. Of particular relevance in settings where access to traditional dental care may be limited, feeding practices are potentially modifiable even without reliance on dental
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