Extremely Obese Children Get Reflux
Written By: International Journal of Pediatric Obesity
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Published - Jul 6, 2010
Extremely obese children have a 40 percent higher risk of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and children who are moderately obese have a 30 percent higher risk of GERD compared to normal weight children, according to a Kaiser Permanente study published online in the International Journal of Pediatric Obesity.
This large population-based study establishes an association between obesity and GERD in children, an association that has been previously reported in adults. GERD can lead to decreased quality of life, chronic respiratory conditions, and increased risk for cancer of the esophagus (the tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach) if it persists through adulthood.
Researchers used electronic health records to conduct a cross-sectional study of 690,321 children aged 2 – 19 years who were members of the Kaiser Permanente Southern California integrated health plan in 2007 and 2008.