Breastfeeding and Helicobacter pylori Infection in Early Childhood: a Continuing Dilemma

OBJECTIVE Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is the most common chronic bacterial infection in humans. Chronic colonization increases the risk of duodenal ulcer and gastric cancer. The risk factors for acquiring the infection have been extensively studied. However, there are conflicting results on the role of breastfeeding in the prevention of H. pylori infection. We conducted a study to evaluate the effects of breastfeeding on the H. Pylori infection in Kurdish children in Sanandaj, IR Iran. METHODS A historical cohort study was carried out from January 2011 through December 2012. Totally 221 children who were going to attain 2 years old during the study period were randomly enrolled. They were divided into two groups, i.e. breastfed and non-breastfed. We used H. pylori stool antigen test to detect infection in the selected group of children after age of 2 years and cessation of breastfeeding. Each group was subdivided into two subgroups, infected and non-infected. The associations of breastfeeding with H. pylori infection was assessed using statistical software. FINDINGS We found no difference in the odds of infection between breastfed and non-breastfed groups (OR=0.809, 95% CI [0.453-1.444]). An association between age and the prevalence of infection was found (P=0.008). There was an increase in the odds of infection as the family size grew (OR=1.93, 95% CI [1.04-3.6]) as well as increasing housing density (OR=2.12, 95% CI [1.10-4.10]). CONCLUSION The data suggests that breastfeeding in infancy does not protect against H. pylori infection for long duration among studied children in Iran. The protective effects of breastfeeding, if any, are at most transient.