Abstract
The current study investigated the relationship between the first central deciduous tooth eruption time and serum levels of maternal alpha-fetoprotein and related multiple of the median (MoM). The cross-sectional study was performed on a convenient sample of children aged 12 to 27 months in Isfahan City, Iran. Data regarding pediatrics' gender, gestational age, delivery mode, maternal age, serum levels of alpha-fetoprotein at weeks 15-20 of pregnancy, and the age of the first central deciduous tooth eruption were collected using a researcher-made standard checklist. The generalized linear model was used to investigate the link between eruption timing of the first central deciduous tooth and maternal alpha-fetoprotein/MoM. In total, 151 children were included in the study. The mean age of the first central primary tooth eruption was significantly lower in full-term compared to preterm children (8.01 ± 2.06 vs. 9.77 ± 3.15 months; P = 0.02). An inverse linear association was observed between maternal alpha-fetoprotein expressed as MoM and eruption timing in preterm infants (β = -4.27; 95% CI: -7.72 to -0.83; P = 0.01). In full-term infants, the association also approached statistical significance (β = -0.93; 95% CI: -1.86 to 0.01; P = 0.05). For maternal alpha-fetoprotein levels (ng/ml), marginal associations with eruption timing were noted in both full-term (P = 0.08) and preterm infants (P = 0.05). The findings of this study suggest a potential inverse relationship between maternal alpha-fetoprotein levels and the timing of first primary tooth eruption, particularly among preterm infants. Further prospective studies with larger, more diverse populations are required to validate and expand upon these preliminary observations.