Open Access

Association between Helicobacter pylori infection and delayed growth in children: A meta‑analysis

  • Authors:
    • Shuchun Wei
    • Yini Dang
    • Lei Peng
    • Xuan Li
    • Liming Tang
    • Guoxin Zhang
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: April 9, 2020     https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2020.8654
  • Pages: 3814-3828
  • Copyright: © Wei et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

Metrics: Total Views: 0 (Spandidos Publications: | PMC Statistics: )
Total PDF Downloads: 0 (Spandidos Publications: | PMC Statistics: )


Abstract

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is associated with extra‑gastrointestinal diseases in children. The present study aimed to investigate the potential association between H. pylori infection and growth in children. The PubMed, Exerpta Medica dataBASE, Cochrane Library and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database databases were comprehensively searched for relevant publications dated between January 1st 1994 and January 1st 2019. Delayed childhood growth was defined according to the age‑appropriate criteria in the World Health Organization Child Growth Charts (2006 edition). The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs were pooled using the fixed‑effects model and subgroup and sensitivity analyses were performed using Review Manager (version 5.3; Cochrane) and STATA (version 12.0; StataCorp LP) software. A total of 15 observational studies comprising 4,199 subjects were included in the present study. A higher frequency of delayed growth was observed in H. pylori‑positive children compared with that in H. pylori‑negative children (OR, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.28‑1.78), particularly for linear growth (OR, 1.63; 95% CI, 1.32‑2.00). The aforementioned association was only observed when H. pylori infection was detected using 13C‑urea breath tests (OR, 1.72; 95% CI, 1.22‑2.40) or serum IgG antibodies targeted against H. pylori (OR, 1.81; 95% CI, 1.35‑2.44). H. pylori infection was also associated with delayed childhood growth in studies with a H. pylori prevalence of ≤30% (OR, 1.71; 95% CI, 1.31‑2.23) or >30% but not >50% (OR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.10‑1.86). The association between infection and growth was only statistically significant in the cross‑sectional (OR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.18‑1.73) and case‑control (OR, 1.81; 95% CI, 1.23‑2.67) studies. No significant heterogeneity among studies was identified in the present analysis. According to Begg's and Egger's linear regression methods for funnel plots and quantification assessments, no publication bias was identified. The trim and fill method further suggested that H. pylori‑positive children were prone to delayed linear growth. Therefore, the present study suggested that preventing and detecting H. pylori infection in children may be critical to ensure normal growth and development during childhood.
View Figures
View References

Related Articles

Journal Cover

June-2020
Volume 19 Issue 6

Print ISSN: 1792-0981
Online ISSN:1792-1015

Sign up for eToc alerts

Recommend to Library

Copy and paste a formatted citation
x
Spandidos Publications style
Wei S, Dang Y, Peng L, Li X, Tang L and Zhang G: Association between Helicobacter pylori infection and delayed growth in children: A meta‑analysis. Exp Ther Med 19: 3814-3828, 2020.
APA
Wei, S., Dang, Y., Peng, L., Li, X., Tang, L., & Zhang, G. (2020). Association between Helicobacter pylori infection and delayed growth in children: A meta‑analysis. Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine, 19, 3814-3828. https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2020.8654
MLA
Wei, S., Dang, Y., Peng, L., Li, X., Tang, L., Zhang, G."Association between Helicobacter pylori infection and delayed growth in children: A meta‑analysis". Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine 19.6 (2020): 3814-3828.
Chicago
Wei, S., Dang, Y., Peng, L., Li, X., Tang, L., Zhang, G."Association between Helicobacter pylori infection and delayed growth in children: A meta‑analysis". Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine 19, no. 6 (2020): 3814-3828. https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2020.8654