Helicobacter pylori and infantile colic

Abstract

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.