Impact of Helicobacter pylori infection on growth of children: a prospective cohort study.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to prospectively follow a cohort of children without Helicobacter pylori infection and to compare growth velocity in the children who become infected during follow-up with that of children who remained infection-free.


METHODS
Three hundred forty-seven children in general good health, aged 12 to 60 months, who tested negative for H. pylori by the 13C-urea breath test, from three daycare centers in a lower-middle class borough of Cali, Colombia, were monitored for 2.5 years. Anthropometric measurements were performed every 2 months and breath tests every 4 months. Linear mixed models were used to analyze growth velocity in relation to onset of H. pylori infection.


RESULTS
One hundred five (30.3%) children who were uninfected at the start of the study became infected during follow-up. Growth velocity in infected children was reduced by 0.042 +/- 0.014 cm/mo (P = 0.003) (approximately 0.5 cm/yr) after adjusting for age. The rate of deceleration in growth velocity was relatively constant over time.


CONCLUSIONS
Among these lower-middle class children aged 12 to 60 months from a population with high prevalence of H. pylori infection, a new and sustained infection was followed by significant growth retardation.
Department of Pathology, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia.
Luis Eduardo
LE
Bravo
Robertino
R
Mera
Julio Cesar
JC
Reina
Alberto
A
Pradilla
Alberto
A
Alzate
Elizabeth
E
Fontham
Pelayo
P
Correa
D001827:Body Height; D001944:Breath Tests; D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003105:Colombia; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006128:Growth; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000382:microbiology; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014508:Urea / Q000032:analysis
D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D014508:Urea