title: Prevalence of Helicobacter Pylori Infection in School and Pre-School Aged Children with C-14 Urea Breath Test and the Association with Familial and Environmental Factors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection in pre-school and school age children with C-14 urea breath test, and to explore its association with age and socioeconomic factors in Turkey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hp infection status was determined by using Urea Breath Test (UBT). Patients who had previous gastric surgery, Hp eradication treatment or equivocal UBT results were excluded. A questionnaire was administered to elicit information on gender, age, ABO/Rh blood group type, presence of gastric disease in the family, domestic animal in the household, and treatment for idiopathic Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  This retrospective study included 500 pediatric patients (179 boys, 321 girls, mean age 10.7±4.3 years) of whom 62 (12.4%) were aged ≤6 years and 438 (87.6%) were aged 7 to 16 years. Helicobacter pylori (Hp) was positive in 245 (49%) cases. In the pre-school age group, 21/62 cases (34%) had positive UBT while in the school age group 224/438 children (51%) had positive UBT. A family history of dyspepsia and pet ownership were not associated with Hp positivity. Hp positive 76 (29.8%) children were on IDA treatment but this was not statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Hp infection positivity rate was 49% in the pediatric age study group. The positivity rate was significantly lower at preschool age than school age, and it increased with age. There was no association with gender, ABO/Rh blood groups, presence of domestic pets, IDA, or history of gastric disease in the family.
authors: Alev
authors: A
authors: Çınar
authors: Ankara Training and Research Hospital, Clinic of Nuclear Medicine, Ankara, Turkey Phone: +90 312 595 36 08 E-mail: mdmuratsadic@gmail.com.
authors: Murat
authors: M
authors: Sadıç
authors: Hasan İkbal
authors: Hİ
authors: Atılgan
authors: Aylin
authors: A
authors: Baskın
authors: Gökhan
authors: G
authors: Koca
authors: Koray
authors: K
authors: Demirel
authors: Meliha
authors: M
authors: Korkmaz