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Introduction Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) infection affects about 30% to two-thirds of human populations and is usually acquired in early childhood. There are conflicting results regarding the nutritional effects of H pylori infection in children mostly about the reduced bioavailability of essential nutrients with growth impairment. The association between H pylori infection and iron deficiency anaemia is of considerable current interest. Objectives To evaluate the effects of H pylori infection on the nutritional and the iron status of symptomatic children that required a first upper endoscopic evaluation. Methods This was an observational prospective study of 649 symptomatic children (age range 6 months-18 years) mostly with uninvestigated dyspepsia or extradigestive signs, admitted in our unit, from January 2015 to December 2017. Weight, height, body mass index for age and sex were used according to growth charts provided by WHO, 2007. Romania is in a nutritional transition and does not have updated national growth charts. H pylori infection was documented by at least two standard invasive tests. Hematologic parameters and nutritional status were compared in patients with and without H pylori infection. Results Active H pylori infection was documented in mostly of studied patients (63,64%). The majority of patients presented normal nutritional status (67,32%), with a significant proportion of wasting (12,63%) associated with risk to underweight (13,09%) overweight (4,48%) and obesity (2.16%). The prevalence of undernutrition was higher in uninfected H pylori children compared with the infected ones (13,55% versus 12,1%; p= 0,67). Overnutrition prevalence was higher in the case of the H pylori negative children compared to the positive ones (3,81% versus 2,66%, p= 0,37). The stunted was observed only in 3.08% cases. Iron deficiency anaemia was found in 19,72%, with an approximately the same prevalence in uninfected compared to infected children (19,91% versus 19,61%). Conclusions The H pylori prevalence rate (63,64%) revealed by our study suggests that this infection remains a semnificative problem in our country. This endoscopic series revealed a lower prevalence of undernutrition and overnutrition in symptomatic H pylori infected children compared with uninfected ones, but without statistically signification for the both ends of the spectrum of poor nutritional status. Our study showed that the prevalence of iron deficiency anaemia was not significantly higher in uninfected H pylori children compared to infected pacients. According to other observational studies the role and the impact of H pylori infection on growth and iron deficiency anaemia remains controversial. |
