Topic Highlight
Mariella Baldassarre
1U.O. di Neonatologia e T.I.N. del Policlinico Universitario di Bari
Helicobacter Pylori (HP) infects half the world’s population with a prevalence of 90% in 10 year old children in the developing world. in the industrialized world, prevalence is gradually falling due to hygienic measures that are spreading in some areas of the developing world. HP infection causes gastritis but lesions are less severe in children than in adults and can be asymptomatic during many years . Evolution towards gastro-duodenal ulcers occurs only in a small percentage of patients. recent literature shows that there is no specific symptom in infected children except nocturnal ulcer-like epigastric pain. The ubiquity of HP makes its complete eradication difficult and can end up with an ecological catastrophe other microbes becoming resistant to the antibiotics used. Perhaps is it unnecessary to struggle against HP at risky costs since its coexistence with the human species may also, somewhat, be considered as beneficial with mutual advantages (allergy, inflammatory bowel diseases, oesophageal carcinoma).