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Helicobacter pylori and childhood recurrent abdominal pain: community based case-control study

Recurrent abdominal pain (at least three discrete episodes of abdominal pain over a period of three or more months, and of sufficient severity to interrupt normal activities) is a common childhood complaint. We set out to determine the association, if any, between Helicobacter pylori infection and childhood recurrent abdominal pain.

Cases and controls were drawn consecutively from the practice populations of six primary care paediatricians in Toronto. (Convenience sampling was used to select paediatricians; they were chosen because of their interest in the study.) Cases were children aged 5-15 years presenting with recurrent abdominal pain; controls were healthy children undergoing a routine check-up or vaccination. Excluded were children with concurrent disease, suspected organic disease, aged under five years, or who had used bismuth in the previous month. All families approached consented to participate.

Serum IgG antibodies to H pylori were measured by using a flow microsphere immunofluorescent assay (FMIA) and a commercial immunoassay kit (Bio-Rad Laboratories, Hercules, CA). The FMIA method has been validated in children (100% sensitivity, 97% specificity) against …