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Helicobacter pylori and Impaired Early Childhood Development-Evidence From a Birth Cohort Study From Ghana and Côte

Kirsten Alexandra Eberhardt1,2, Stefanie Schoppen3, Carola Bindt4

  • 1Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Infectious Diseases, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.

Helicobacter
|October 31, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection in children is linked to poorer motor development. This study highlights potential neurodevelopmental risks in resource-limited areas, emphasizing infection control in early childhood programs.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Pediatrics
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is common in low-resource settings.
  • Limited data exists on H. pylori's impact on early neurodevelopment in sub-Saharan Africa.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between H. pylori infection and early child development at 12 months of age.
  • To assess neurodevelopmental outcomes in Ghanaian and Ivorian mother-child dyads.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective cohort study of 229 mother-child dyads.
  • Child development assessed using the Developmental Milestones Checklist (DMC).
  • H. pylori infection determined by stool antigen testing; quantile regression used for analysis.

Main Results:

  • 16.6% of children were H. pylori positive.
  • H. pylori infection was associated with a significant reduction in motor domain scores (7 points) and total DMC scores (10 points) at the 75th percentile.
  • No significant associations found in language or personal-social domains or at lower/median quantiles.

Conclusions:

  • Early-life H. pylori infection is linked to impaired motor development in children.
  • Findings suggest potential neurodevelopmental impacts in high-prevalence, resource-limited settings.
  • Recommends integrating infection control into early childhood development programs and further research.
Abstract

Keywords:
H. pyloriinfection controlmotor developmentneurodevelopmentquantile regressionsub‐Saharan Africa

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