Is Helicobacter pylori a cause of infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis?

My hypothesis is that infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (IHPS) is cau sed in some cases by Helicobacter pylori (HP) a bacterium commonly found in the human stomach. IHPS is an idiopathic condition of infancy. It occurs a t about 5 weeks of age in 3 per 1000 newborns. Children with IHPS have stru cturally normal pylori at birth and do not resemble children with congenita l anomalies. Some nonspecific evidence (temporal distribution, seasonality, familial clustering, leukocytic infiltrates, and increased risk with bottl e feeding) are compatible with an infectious etiology. Some other epidemiol ogic features of IHPS, such as its strong male predominance, its racial and social class variation, and a possible drop in its incidence, are also fea tures of HP infection. Clinical features of IHPS, such as vomiting, hematem esis, and esophagitis, are also consistent with HP. Finally, children with IHPS appear to be more likely to develop chronic conditions, such as peptic ulcers, now known to be caused by HP. (C) 2000 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.