Effects of Helicobacter pylori Infection Before and After Eradication Treatment on Physical Development and Nutritional Indicators of Children

Background: Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection causes digestive disorders in children. Objectives: To investigate whether Hp infection affects the physical development and nutritional indicators of children. Methods: This retrospective study included 100 healthy children and 112 children with Hp infection who received eradication treatment. A retrospective statistical analysis was conducted on the height, weight, hemoglobin (Hb), serum ferritin (SF), serum iron (SI), albumin (ALB), and 25-(OH)D3 levels of all selected children. Results: Of the 112 children withHpinfection, 23 (20.5%) showed a positive 13C-urea breath test after a 1-year follow-up, and they were classified into the recurrence group. Following a 1-year follow-up, 89 (79.5%) children demonstrated negative results in the 13C-urea breath test and were selected for the non-recurrence group. Analysis of physical development and nutritional indices revealed lower Hb, SI, SF, and 25-(OH)D3 levels in the study group than in the control group before eradication treatment (P 0.05). However, no significant difference was observed between the control and study groups regarding body height, body weight, and ALB levels (P 0.05). Following 1 year of eradication treatment, Hb, SI, SF, 25-(OH)D3, and ALB levels showed no significant difference between the study and control groups (P 0.05). However, a relevant contrast was noted in 25-(OH)D3 levels between the non-recurrence and recurrence groups after 1 year of eradication treatment (P 0.05), with the former group having lower levels than the latter. Conclusions: Helicobacter pylori infection may impact Hb, SI, SF, and 25-(OH)D3 levels in children. Decreased 25-(OH)D3 may be a hazard for the recurrence of Hp infection.