Comparison of the Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori Infection Between the Exclusively Breastfed and Formula- or Mixed-Fed Infants in the First Six Months of Life

Abstract

Background: Helicobacter pylori is a common gastrointestinal pathogen in human. The mechanism of its acquisition and transmission is unclear, although the most likely mode of transmission is fecal-oral or oral-oral. Most of infections occur in childhood. The current cohort assessed the prevalence of infection in infants with different feeding strategies (exclusive breastfeeding, formula, or mixed feeding). Methods: The current study was carried out in Vali-Asr hospital of Imam Khomeini hospital complex, Tehran, Iran, from 2012 to 2015.The study population included infants born in this hospital and registered in breastfeeding research center during the first 6 months of life. They were compared in 2 groups; exclusively breastfed, and formula or mixed fed. Mothers' H. pylori infection was checked serologically using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique and those of infants by monoclonal antibody test using ELISA technique on stool samples at 1st and 6th month of life. Results: A total of 102 infants in 2 groups (54 exclusively breastfed and 48 formula or mixed fed) completed the study. Mothers' serological assessments were positive in 68% of exclusively breast-fed subjects and 60% of formula or mixed fed subjects. All 1-monthold infants were negative for the infection and in the 6-month-old infants 10 cases (18.5%) were positive, 1 case was at borderline in the exclusively breastfed, and 13 cases (27%) were positive in formula-or mixed-fed subjects. This difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.302). The Mantel-Hanzel test was used to find a relationship in H. pylori positivity in mothers and infants during the first 6-month of life in each of the 2 groups. It was found that out of 37 serologically positive mothers in the breastfed group, 8 infants (22%) were H. pylori positive and in the formula and mixed-fed group, of 29 serologically positive mothers 10 infants (34%) were also H. pylori positive, but the difference between the groups was not statistically significant (P = 0.727). It meant that the prevalence of infantile H. pylori infection was similar in the 2 groups. Conclusions: The current study findings showed that exclusive breastfeeding had no role in protection or facilitation of H. pylori infection.

Fecal Calprotectin in patients with Infantile Colic: A case-control study

“…The results of our study showed that both in the infants with colic and in controls, fecal calprotectin levels did not differ with sex. Similar results are found in other studies [9,15,20].…”

“…Calprotectin is a protein of calgranulin family, secreted mainly from neutrophils with a regulatory function on in ammatory processes [9]. It may be used for diagnosis of In ammatory Bowel Disease, Necrotizing Enterocolitis and intestinal Cystic Fibrosis [10,11].…”

Comparative study of preterm infants fed new and existing human milk fortifiers showed favourable markers of gastrointestinal status

“…In a 2016 systematic review, Pergialiotis et al concluded that faecal calprotectin was elevated in newborns with NEC. However, faecal calprotectin has also been shown to be higher in healthy, exclusively breastfed infants than in infants fed formula or a mixture of breast milk and formula, suggesting that higher levels may not always indicate pathology. Consistent with this hypothesis, Groer et al showed that infants who received their mother's own milk had increasing faecal calprotectin levels over time, while infants who received mixed feeding or pasteurised donor milk did not show this increase over time.…”

“…In a 2016 systematic review, Pergialiotis et al 25 concluded that faecal calprotectin was elevated in newborns with NEC. However, faecal calprotectin has also been shown to be higher in healthy, exclusively breastfed infants than in infants fed formula or a mixture of breast milk and formula, 26,27 suggesting that higher levels F I G U R E 1 Flow of study participants and sample sizes for stool analyses. FS day 1 = fortification strength day one.…”

The prophylactic effect of bovine colostrum on respiratory infection and diarrhea in formula-fed infants: a randomized trial

“…It has been shown to have bactericidal and fungicidal properties and to play a role in the regulation of the inflammatory process [31,32] . Studies have reported that the mean fecal calprotectin was higher in exclusively breastfed infants in the first and sixth months than formula-and mix-fed infants, and the protective role of breastfeeding may be attributed to immune mediators such as calprotectin [33][34][35] . Based on the role of calprotectin in inflammation, its abundance in exclusively breastfed infants may be a sign of an enhanced mucosal immune maturity.…”