Patient's question:
The baby is 20 months old. Today, they used the chopsticks that Grandpa used to eat a bite of rice. Later, after realizing it, we promptly stopped them. If Grandpa has Helicobacter pylori, would the child be infected with this behavior?Doctor's answer:
Helicobacter pylori primarily resides in the stomach, mouth, and feces of infected individuals. Therefore, it can spread among the population through the following routes: oral-oral transmission, where HP is transmitted from an infected person to an uninfected person via oral contact, utensils, and contaminated soup. Many mothers are accustomed to chewing food first before feeding it to their children, which can lead to children contracting HP. Apart from sexual contact between individuals of different genders, it is important to pay attention to oral hygiene to prevent the disease from entering through the mouth.Fecal-oral transmission occurs when HP in feces contaminates water sources and food, and individuals who consume or use the contaminated items become infected. Gastrointestinal transmission refers to the transfer of HP from an infected person's vomit to a healthy individual, primarily occurring in daycare centers.
In fact, you don’t need to panic—just because there is a chance of transmission doesn’t mean it has occurred.