Raising the awareness of infant ora mutilation - myths and facts.

The earliest literature report on infant oral mutilation (IOM) was recorded in the year 1932 and related to the Nilotic people of Sudan. Since then, there have been more reports on the practice of IOM coming from more countries in the Eastern region of Africa. Among these countries mentioned in relation with this practice are Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, and Rwanda. Other than Eastern Africa countries that have reported on the practice of IOM, the other countries are Burkinafaso and Chad. Many studies have not been extensively done on this practice, but few that have been done have shown the prevalence of this practice to be relatively high, with Uganda having reported a prevalence of 35% in the Acholi tribe and Tanzania reported a prevalence of between 5.2% and 16.9% in some of the tribes. In Kenya, a study in 1988 showed the prevalence of IOM in the Maasai tribe to be 35%. Indeed, IOM appears to be an issue that needs addressing by the dental fraternity.