Abstract

Background: Infantile colic is a common condition in healthy infants under 5 months, characterized by recurrent and prolonged crying, fussing, or irritability. Although various gastrointestinal and non-gastrointestinal causes have been proposed, the exact etiology remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association between H. pylori presence in the infant gut and the occurrence of infantile colic.

Method: This case-control study included 52 infants divided into two groups: cases (n=25) with infantile colic according to Rome IV criteria and controls (n=27) healthy infants matched for age, sex, and exclusive breastfeeding. Stool samples were tested for H. pylori antigen using an immunochromatography test. Data were analyzed using chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests, and logistic regression with pseudo-R² reporting.

Result: Although the proportion of H. pylori positivity was higher in the colic group (40.0%) than in the control group (22.2%), the difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). The unadjusted odds ratio was 2.33 (95% CI: 0.70–7.82), and the model showed a low pseudo-R², indicating limited predictive power.

Conclusion: This study found no statistically significant association between infantile colic and H. pylori positivity. Larger prospective multicenter studies are recommended to explore the role of other gut microbiota interactions.