Helicobacter pylori and infantile colic.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether Helicobacter pylori is associated with infantile colic. DESIGN Case-control study. SETTINGS Local tertiary hospital in rural Gizan, Saudi Arabia. PARTICIPANTS A total of 55 patients with infantile colic who were 2 weeks to 4 months of age and who fulfilled modified Wessel criteria (ie, crying and fussy behavior) and a total of 30 healthy controls with no history of colic who were matched by country of origin, age, sex, and ethnicity to the 55 colicky infants. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Helicobacter pylori infection determined by H pylori stool antigen testing. RESULTS Of the 55 patients presenting with infantile colic, 45 (81.8%) tested positive for H pylori ; of the 30 healthy controls, 7 (23.3%) tested positive for H pylori (odds ratio, 15.3 [95% CI, 17.9-29.8]). CONCLUSION H pylori infection is associated with infantile colic and may be a causative factor.