Helicobacter pylori infection in institutionalized children in Vietnam the importance of the first 3 years of residence

ABSTRACT

The study was aimed to assess the H. pylori infection rate and to investigate contributing factors among 105 orphans and 85 handicapped institutionalized children. H. pylori seropositivity was 71.4% (75/105) in the handicapped as compared to 41.3% (77/186) in the control. Orphan children were at the highest risk factor of affecting H. pylori in the first three years, but healthy orphan children were more likely to be infected in the first year of residence while handicapped children were more likely to be infected in the second and the third year of their residence. There was no link between lifestyle, health status and HP infection in both two groups of children