Consequences of Helicobacter pylori infection in children

Table 3 Cross-sectional studies on the association between Helicobacter pylori infection and growth retardation

Author (yr)/country	Total No. of patients (H. pylori+)	Age (range,yr)	Diagnostic test	Conclusion
Perri et al[114] (1997)/Italy	216 (49)	3-14	Urea breath test	H. pylori infection was associated with growth delay, and poor socioeconomic status
Oderda et al[115] (1998)/Italy	134 with short stature (27)	5-13	Serology	No association with short stature
	134 controls (18)	5-13
Quiñonez et al[116] (1999)/Guatemala	211 (107)	5-10	Serology	No association with height for age and nutritional status
Choe et al[90] (2000)/Korea	375 (63)	10-15	Serology	H. pylori infection accompanied by IDA, rather than H. pylori infection per se, was associated with delayed pubertal growth
Richter et al[117] (2001)/Germany	3315 (213)	5-7	Urea breath test	H. pylori infection was associated with growth delay
Ertem et al[118] (2002)/Turkey	327 (162)	3-12	Urea breath test	H. pylori infection was associated with short stature independently of poor living standards
Sood et al[119] (2005)/UK	257 (97)	-	Urea breath test	No association with height and weight z scores, after adjustment for socioeconomic status and ethnicity
Süoglu et al[120] (2007)/Turkey	70 (35)	4-16	Endoscopy	H. pylori infection and IDA had a significant effect on height z scores, after adjustment for economic status
Mohammad et al[121] (2008)/Egypt	286 (208)	6-15	Urea breath test	H. pylori infection affected both body weight and height
Soylu et al[122] (2008)/Turkey	108 with dyspepsia (57)	7-17	Endoscopy	No association with anthropometry. But, dyspeptic children had worse nutritional status compared to controls, regardless of H. pylori status
	50 healthy controls	8-17
Cherian et al[123] (2009)/Australia	182 (149)	< 16	Stool antigen	No association with BMI or other anthropometric measures
Gulcan et al[124] (2010)/Turkey	181 with RAP (121)	6-15	Endoscopy, 181	RAP associated with gastric mucosal injury had a negative effect on BMI independent of H. pylori infection
	309 asymptomatic (110)	6-15	Serology, 309	RAP originating from H. pylori infection affected both BMI and linear growth

BMI: Body mass index; RAP: Recurrent abdominal pain; IDA: Iron deficiency anemia; H. pylori: Helicobacter pylori.