Dietary habits and gastroesophageal reflux disease in preschool children

PURPOSE: To identify the relationship between dietary habits and childhood gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in preschool children. METHODS: We performed a questionnaire study to analyze the relationship between dietary habits and GERD in 85 preschool children with GERD and 117 healthy children of the same age. RESULTS: Irregular and picky eating were more p–revalent in the GERD group than in the control group (odds ratio [OR], 4.14; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.37–12.54 and OR, 4.96; 95% CI, 1.88–13.14, respectively). The snack preferences and the late night eating habits were significantly more prevalent in the GERD group than in the control group (OR, 3.83; 95% CI, 1.23–11.87 and OR, 9.51; 95% CI, 2.55–35.49, respectively). A preference for liquid foods was significantly more prevalent in the GERD group (OR, 9.51; 95% CI, 2.548–35.485). The dinner-to-bedtime interval was significantly shorter in the GERD group than in the control group (157.06±48.47 vs. 174.62±55.10, P=0.020). In addition, the time between dinner and bedtime was shorter than 3 hours in 47 children (55.3%) of the GERD group and 44 (37.6%) of the control group. This difference was statistical significance (P=0.015). CONCLUSION: Dietary habits such as picky and irregular eating, snack preference, a preference of liquid foods, late night eating, and a shorter dinner-to-bedtime interval had a significant correlation with GERD. Further large-scale studies are necessary to confirm our results.