Helicobacter pylori colonization in infants and its relation to childhood morbidity

Helicobacter pylori infection is common in world. Its prevalence in Pakistan particularly in children is unknown. Hence to look at its prevalence in Pakistani children, its age of acquisition and its relation with diarrhoea and malnutrition, a study was conducted in children using 13C-urea breath test (13C-UBT) and detection of H. pylori antigen in stool using ELISA. Infants at the age of one, two and three months of age from a peri-urban area of Karachi were recruited. 13C-urea breath test was done using 50mg of 13C-urea.The tests were repeated at 2,3,6 and 9 months of age. Total of 148 infants had 319 13C-urea breath tests. 80% of infants at one month of age, 79% at 2 months of age and 76% of 3 months of age were positive for 13C-urea breath test. 88 infants had stool tested for H. pylori antigen using ELISA on 139 occasions. 7 % of infants had a positive stool ELISA test at 2 months of age and 9% had a positive test at 3 months of age. None of the 26 infants tested at one month of age showed positive ELISA. Of the 7 mother-infant pairs, 4 pairs had positive 13C-UBT. No correlation was found between colic, abdominal pain, diarrhoea or weight gain and positive 13C-UBT in infants. The study shows that infants as young as one month of age get infected/colonized with Helicobacter pylori. (author)