Previous antibacterial treatment due to concomitant infections in preschool children is associated with a lower Helicobacter pylori positivity

Use of antimicrobial agents has been proposed as 1 of the factors that contribute to the loss of Helicobacter pylori ( H. pylori) infection. The aim of the study was to investigate the influence of a previous treatment with antibiotics on the prevalence of H. pylori infection in preschool children. Parents of 146 asymptomatic children (aged 0.5 - 5 y; no antibiotic treatment during the previous 4 weeks) completed a questionnaire about previous treatment with antibiotics and socioeconomic status. Infection with H. pylori was assessed by the monoclonal stool antigen test. H. pylori positivity was 18 % (27/146). It was significantly lower in children who had been treated with antibiotics previously compared to those who had been never treated (12.5 % (12/ 96) vs 30 % (15/50), p = 0.01). It is concluded that previous antibiotic treatment for concomitant infections is associated with a lower prevalence of H. pylori infection in preschool children.