TY - JOUR
T1 - The role of breast-feeding in the prevention of Helicobacter pylori infection
T2 - A systematic review
AU - Chak, Eric W
AU - Rutherford, George W.
AU - Steinmaus, Craig
PY - 2009/2/15
Y1 - 2009/2/15
N2 - Background. The benefits of breast-feeding for the prevention of infection in infants and young children have been widely recognized, but epidemiologic studies regarding the role of breast-feeding in protecting against Helicobacter pylori infection have produced conflicting results. Methods. We performed a systematic review of relevant epidemiologic studies conducted during the period 1984-2007 after abstracting data from articles that met our inclusion criteria. Study quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. With use of the random effects model, we calculated the summary odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for H. pylori infection according to history of breast-feeding. Results. For the 14 studies that met inclusion criteria, the summary OR for H. pylori infection was 0.78 (95% CI, 0.61-0.99; 1-sided P = .02). Nine of the 14 studies reported ORs of <1.0, and 6 of these studies reported statistically significant protective effects. Only 1 study reported a statistically significant OR of >1.0. In studies in which the subjects resided in middle- or low-income nations, the summary OR was 0.55 (95% CI, 0.33-0.93; P = .01), compared with 0.93 (95% CI, 0.73-1.19; P = .28) in studies in which subjects resided in high-income nations. The summary OR for studies that use the 13C-urea breath test was 0.67 (95% CI, 0.32-1.39), compared with 0.91 (95% CI, 0.74-1.11) for studies that used the H. pylori IgG serologic test. We found no statistically significant dose-dependent protective effect against H. pylori associated with increasing duration of breast-feeding. Conclusions. Breast-feeding is protective against H. pylori infection, especially in middle- and low-income nations.
AB - Background. The benefits of breast-feeding for the prevention of infection in infants and young children have been widely recognized, but epidemiologic studies regarding the role of breast-feeding in protecting against Helicobacter pylori infection have produced conflicting results. Methods. We performed a systematic review of relevant epidemiologic studies conducted during the period 1984-2007 after abstracting data from articles that met our inclusion criteria. Study quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. With use of the random effects model, we calculated the summary odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for H. pylori infection according to history of breast-feeding. Results. For the 14 studies that met inclusion criteria, the summary OR for H. pylori infection was 0.78 (95% CI, 0.61-0.99; 1-sided P = .02). Nine of the 14 studies reported ORs of <1.0, and 6 of these studies reported statistically significant protective effects. Only 1 study reported a statistically significant OR of >1.0. In studies in which the subjects resided in middle- or low-income nations, the summary OR was 0.55 (95% CI, 0.33-0.93; P = .01), compared with 0.93 (95% CI, 0.73-1.19; P = .28) in studies in which subjects resided in high-income nations. The summary OR for studies that use the 13C-urea breath test was 0.67 (95% CI, 0.32-1.39), compared with 0.91 (95% CI, 0.74-1.11) for studies that used the H. pylori IgG serologic test. We found no statistically significant dose-dependent protective effect against H. pylori associated with increasing duration of breast-feeding. Conclusions. Breast-feeding is protective against H. pylori infection, especially in middle- and low-income nations.
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U2 - 10.1086/596499
DO - 10.1086/596499
M3 - Article
C2 - 19133802
AN - SCOPUS:58749110484
VL - 48
SP - 430
EP - 437
JO - Clinical Infectious Diseases
JF - Clinical Infectious Diseases
SN - 1058-4838
IS - 4
ER -