title: Helicobacter pylori infection and the occurrence and severity of gastrointestinal symptoms during pregnancy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We investigated the possible role of Helicobacter pylori infection in the occurrence and severity of gastrointestinal symptoms during pregnancy in a large group of mothers after delivery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between November 2000 and November 2001, mothers were recruited after delivery at the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics at the University of Ulm. Present H pylori infection was determined by (13)C-urea breath test. Associations between gastrointestinal symptoms during pregnancy (sickness, vomiting, increased saliva production, heartburn) and H pylori infection were quantified by crude and adjusted odds ratios with 95% CI.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-three percent of the 898 mothers had a current H pylori infection. Eighty-four percent of the mothers reported at least one of the evaluated gastrointestinal symptoms, and 30% of the mothers reported at least one physician visit because of the severity of these symptoms. None of the analyzed gastrointestinal symptoms showed an association to a current H pylori infection after an adjustment for the covariates, even after a virulence marker of H pylori infection was taken into account.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study does not support an involvement of H pylori infection in the generation of gastrointestinal symptoms during pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, German Centre for Research on Aging, University of Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weyermann
authors.forename: Hermann
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Brenner
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Adler
authors.forename: Zemine
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yasar
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Handke-Vesely
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Grab
authors.forename: Rolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kreienberg
authors.forename: Dietrich
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rothenbacher
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000150:complications*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious; D012720:Severity of Illness Index