The use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) for gastric complications is growing among young children in most high-income countries. PPIs alter microbiota or the immune system and thus may lead to infections. However, their association with infection risk in young children is not well-studied. Recently, a cohort study investigated the association between PPI use and infection risk in 1,262,424 young children.
Some of them (median age, 88 days) received PPIs, and some (median age, 82 days) did not. The PPI exposure increased the risk of serious infections overall ( adjusted hazard ratio, 1.34 ), in addition to increased risk of infections in the digestive tract, ENT sphere, lower respiratory tract, kidneys/urinary tract, and nervous system, and bacterial and viral infections . Although the risk of serious infections gradually decreased after PPI discontinuation, it persisted for several…
