The Mother as Source of Helicobacter pylori Infection

BACKGROUND: To further elucidate the intrafamilial transmission of Helicobacter pylori infection, we investigated the occurrence of infection by parental infection status in a large community-based birth cohort of children from Germany. METHODS: Parental infection (at birth) and children's infection (at age 3 years) were determined by C-urea breath test and by monoclonal antigen stool test. RESULTS: Twenty of 834 children (2.4%) were found to be infected. The odds ratio for H. pylori infection of the child was 12.9 (95% confidence interval = 3.2-52.5) if the mother was infected and 1.4 (0.4-4.6) if the father was infected, after adjustment for infection status of the other parent and for nationality. The number of older siblings was not a risk factor for H. pylori infection of the child. CONCLUSIONS: This longitudinal study suggests that infected mothers are the main source of H. pylori infection of their children.