Helicobacter pylori Infection and Children's Growth: An Overview
1Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Insights
Helicobacter pylori infection in children may negatively impact their growth, particularly linear growth. Further research, including clinical trials, is needed to confirm these findings and explore eradication benefits.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Infectious Diseases
- Growth and Development
Background:
- Helicobacter pylori infection is common in childhood but its impact on children's health, especially growth, remains unclear.
- This review specifically examines the association between H. pylori infection and growth in children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review existing literature on the association between Helicobacter pylori infection and children's growth.
- To assess the potential impact of H. pylori eradication on growth parameters in pediatric populations.
Main Methods:
- A narrative review of original studies was conducted.
- Literature search performed on Ovid MEDLINE and EMBASE databases up to August 2015.
- Studies were assessed for risk of bias.
Main Results:
- Observational studies (N=48) suggest H. pylori infection may adversely affect children's linear growth, with findings more consistent in low-risk studies.
- The association with ponderal growth is less consistent.
- Limited evidence indicates H. pylori eradication might improve nutritional status.
Conclusions:
- Helicobacter pylori infection may potentially impair children's growth.
- Further research, particularly clinical trials, is required to confirm the role of H. pylori eradication and understand underlying mechanisms.
Objectives:
Helicobacter pylori infection is acquired in early childhood, yet its role in children's health is still not fully clear. In this narrative review, we focused on the association between H pylori infection and children's growth.
Methods:
A literature search of the Ovid MEDLINE (till June 2015) and EMBASE (till August 2015) databases was performed using the terms "Helicobacter pylori, growth, body height, growth disorders and child development." Original studies that addressed the association between H pylori infection or eradication and children's growth were reviewed and the risk of bias of each study was assessed.
Results:
The existing evidence is based on observational studies (N = 48) and suggests that H pylori infection may adversely influence children's growth; findings were more consistent across studies with low risk of bias. Regarding linear growth, observational studies have repeatedly linked between H pylori infection and slower or diminished linear growth; yet, it is not known whether this association is causal. The association between H pylori infection and ponderal growth has been less consistent. Scarce evidence exists on the effect of H pylori eradication on children's skeletal growth and weight gain, but there is an indication that H pylori eradication may benefit nutritional status.
Conclusions:
H pylori infection may impair children's growth. Additional studies, especially clinical trials, are needed to elucidate the role of H pylori eradication in children's growth, and the mechanisms that may be involved in such.
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