A systematic review of 31 studies looked at how gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and the use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) affect the gut health of children. The researchers found that children with these conditions often had lower microbial diversity, which means fewer types of healthy bacteria in their systems.
The study also noted changes in specific bacterial groups and an increase in similarities between different areas of the digestive tract. This suggests that reflux or aspiration might cause bacteria to move between compartments. Additionally, PPI use was linked to a decrease in beneficial bacteria like Bifidobacterium and an increase in potentially harmful types like Streptococcus.
While some evidence suggested a link between PPIs and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, these results were inconsistent across the studies. Because the data comes from many different sources, researchers cannot say for certain that these changes are directly caused by the medication. These findings highlight the need for more long-term studies to understand how these treatments affect children's health over time.
