title: Unintended consequences of Helicobacter pylori infection in children in developing countries: iron deficiency, diarrhea, and growth retardation.
abstract: Helicobacter pylori infection is predominantly acquired early in life. The prevalence of the infection in childhood is low in developed countries, whereas in developing countries most children are infected by 10 y of age. In poor resource settings, where malnutrition, parasitic/enteropathogen and H. pylori infection co-exist in young children, H. pylori might have potentially more diverse clinical outcomes. This paper reviews the impact of childhood H. pylori infection in developing countries that should now be the urgent focus of future research. The extra-gastric manifestations in early H. pylori infection in infants in poor resource settings might be a consequence of the infection associated initial hypochlorhydria. The potential role of H. pylori infection on iron deficiency, growth impairment, diarrheal disease, malabsorption and cognitive function is discussed in this review.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Research in Bacteriology; Faculdade de Medicina; Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais; Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
authors.forename: Dulciene M M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Queiroz
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Research in Bacteriology; Faculdade de Medicina; Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais; Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
authors.forename: Andreia M C
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Rocha
authors.affiliation: Leeds Institute Molecular Medicine; St. James's University Hospital; University of Leeds; Leeds, UK.
authors.forename: Jean E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Crabtree
mesh_terms: D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003906:Developing Countries; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008286:Malabsorption Syndromes / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
keywords: Helicobacter pylori; children; cognitive impairment; developing countries; diarrhea; growth retardation; hypochlorhydria; iron deficiency; malabsorption