Question
My daughter is three years old and recently tested positive for Helicobacter pylori infection. The doctor has prescribed medication, one of which requires me to purchase it from a pharmacy, but the instructions state it is not suitable for children. Should I give her these medications? Additionally, she started taking the medication today and has developed a fever and stomach pain, and I’m not sure if this is due to the medication.
Answer
According to the latest pediatric Hp infection diagnosis and treatment consensus in the country, treatment should only be considered if there is a recurrence of gastric or duodenal ulcers or a confirmed diagnosis of gastric mucosal-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma. Furthermore, treatment can be considered if there is chronic gastritis, refractory iron-deficiency anemia of unknown cause, plans to take medications that damage the gastric mucosa for a long time, or a family history of gastric cancer. Since infection with Hp does not necessarily mean anemia, definitive treatment has specific treatment criteria and not all children infected with Hp need to undergo antibacterial treatment.