TY - JOUR
T1 - Helicobacter pylori infection and growth delay in older children
AU - Perri, Francesco
AU - Pastore, Maria
AU - Leandro, Gioacchino
AU - Clemente, Rocco
AU - Ghoos, Yvo
AU - Peeters, Marc
AU - Annese, Vito
AU - Quitadamo, Michèle
AU - Latiano, Anna
AU - Rutgeerts, Paul
AU - Andriulli, Angelo
PY - 1997
Y1 - 1997
N2 - It is thought that Helicobacter pylori infection may influence growth rate in children. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of H pylori infection in healthy Italian children, and to look for differences in height between infected and non-infected subjects. Two hundred and sixteen children, aged 3 to 14 years, were tested for H pylori infection by 13C- urea breath test. Centile values for height were calculated. Composite indices for socioeconomic class and household crowding were also determined. Forty nine of 216 children (22.7%) were H pylori positive. The prevalence of infection increased with age. Eight of 49 H pylori positive children (16.3%) were below the 25th centile for height, compared with 13 of 167 H pylori negative children (7.8%). This difference became significant in children aged 8.5 to 14 years; in this group (n = 127), eight of 31 infected children (25.8%) were below the 25th centile for height, compared with eight of 96 noninfected children (8.30/0). A significant correlation was found between socioeconomic conditions, household crowding, and H pylori status. By using stepwise logistic regression, only the centile value for height was significantly related to H pylori status in older children. Thus H pylori infection was associated with growth delay in older children, poor socioeconomic conditions, and household overcrowding. This finding is consistent with the hypothesis that H pylori infection is one of the environmental factors capable of affecting growth.
AB - It is thought that Helicobacter pylori infection may influence growth rate in children. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of H pylori infection in healthy Italian children, and to look for differences in height between infected and non-infected subjects. Two hundred and sixteen children, aged 3 to 14 years, were tested for H pylori infection by 13C- urea breath test. Centile values for height were calculated. Composite indices for socioeconomic class and household crowding were also determined. Forty nine of 216 children (22.7%) were H pylori positive. The prevalence of infection increased with age. Eight of 49 H pylori positive children (16.3%) were below the 25th centile for height, compared with 13 of 167 H pylori negative children (7.8%). This difference became significant in children aged 8.5 to 14 years; in this group (n = 127), eight of 31 infected children (25.8%) were below the 25th centile for height, compared with eight of 96 noninfected children (8.30/0). A significant correlation was found between socioeconomic conditions, household crowding, and H pylori status. By using stepwise logistic regression, only the centile value for height was significantly related to H pylori status in older children. Thus H pylori infection was associated with growth delay in older children, poor socioeconomic conditions, and household overcrowding. This finding is consistent with the hypothesis that H pylori infection is one of the environmental factors capable of affecting growth.
KW - Growth
KW - Height
KW - Helicobacter pylori
KW - Urea breath test
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=8544245714&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=8544245714&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
C2 - 9279151
AN - SCOPUS:8544245714
VL - 77
SP - 46
EP - 49
JO - Archives of Disease in Childhood
JF - Archives of Disease in Childhood
SN - 0003-9888
IS - 1
ER -