A recent study by the Institute of Forensic Medicine found that H. pylori antigen often can be showed in children’s stool that dies in crib death. Among healthy Norwegian children the frequencies of H. pylori were low. However, the occurrence among newborn was significantly higher. To control these finding and learn more about bacteria in the intestine, we have completed a new study of healthy Norwegian children.
Methods: From a random sample of 78 newborn children it was secured specimens from the children’s first stool (meconium). Repeated stool specimens were secured from 54 of 78 children by the age of 4 weeks. Stool specimens were also secured from 20 of the mothers during their stay at the delivering department. The specimens from the children were cultivated immediately. The specimens were tested for the presence of H. pylori antigen using the HpSTAR (ELISA). It is also planned to perform a PCR and a serologic-test of the blood account, which are secured from the mother during the pregnancy.
Results: The cultivation showed growth of intestinal bacteria in 75 % of the cases. H. pylori antigen in stool was detected in 13 of 73 newborn children. All cases with positive specimens have been through vaginal birth. In only 1 out of 20 specimens the mother tested positive while her child tested negative. By the age of 4 weeks all children tested negative.
Conclusions: The founding does confirm that a high rate of the newborn have H. pylori antigen in the stool. The reduction in occurrence from the previous study (53 %) to the current study (18 %) can be explained by a less sensitive method. Colonize with H. pylori do not seem to result in a permanent infection by healthy children
