Five- to 7-year-old children with Helicobacter pylori infection are smaller than Helicobacter-negative children: a cross-sectional population-based study of 3,315 children.
OBJECTIVE
To test whether Helicobacter pylori-positive children are smaller and weigh less than H pylori-negative children.


METHODS
Cross-sectional population-based study.


METHODS
In 3,315 5-to 7-year-old preschool and school children, the putative influence of H pylori infection on growth was investigated. Standing height and weight were analyzed in relation to H pylori infection. The diagnosis of H pylori infection was established by 13C-urea-breath test.


RESULTS
The prevalence of H pylori infection in boys was 7.2% (95% confidence interval, 5.9-8.9; n = 1,550) and in girls was 6.1% (95% confidence interval, 4.9-7.3; n = 1,552) H pylori-positive children were smaller than noninfected children (117.6 +/- 5.5 cm vs. 118.9 +/- 5.7 cm; P < 0.01). Although H pylori-positive boys were 2.06 cm smaller than H pylori-negative boys (117.4 +/- 5.6 cm vs. 119.5 +/- 5.7 cm; P < 0.001), the difference in girls was not significant (117.9 +/- 5.3 cm vs. 118.4 +/- 5.7 cm). When standing height was adjusted for age, the found differences were more pronounced. Differences between the infected and noninfected children with regard to body weight were not significant (22.4 +/- 4.0 kg vs. 22.1 +/- 4.0 kg), nor was there a significant difference with regard to body-mass index. However, boys with H pylori infection had a lower weight than noninfected boys (21.6 +/- 3.3 kg vs. 22.6 +/- 4.0 kg; P < 0.01), but in girls, these differences were not observed (22.2 +/- 4.0 vs. 22.8 +/- 4.6 kg, respectively). When weight was adjusted for age, H pylori -positive children also had a lower weight than H pylori -negative children because of the lower weight of boys.


CONCLUSIONS
H pylori infection is associated with growth delay, growth retardation, or both in affected children.
Richter
T
T
Children's Hospital, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany. richth@medizin.uni-leipzig.de
Richter
T
T
List
S
S
Müller
D M
DM
Deutscher
J
J
Uhlig
H H
HH
Krumbiegel
P
P
Herbarth
O
O
Gutsmuths
F J
FJ
Kiess
W
W
D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D001944:Breath Tests; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006128:Growth; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000382:microbiology*; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012727:Sex Characteristics