Objective: To determine the prevalence of pathologic gastroesophageal reflux in a group of regurgitant infants attended at Helena Moura Hospital, Recife, State of Pernambuco, Brazil. The clinical criteria employed were based on Rome II criteria.
Method: The study design was transversal. The patients were all children of less than 1 year of age with a history of episodes of regurgitation for at least 3 weeks. The study group was comprised of 798 children who attended the program between January and August of 2002. The diagnostic criteria were based on Rome II criteria.
Results: The prevalence of pathologic gastroesophageal reflux was 11.15% (89/798) (95% CI 9.10-13.48). It was higher during the first two trimesters of life, 14.62% (31/212) (95% CI 10.33-19.86) in the first trimester, and 13.76% (38/276) (95% CI 10.07-18.21) in the second trimester.
Conclusion: The prevalence of pathologic gastroesophageal reflux within the group of children examined concurred with previously published studies, with predominance, therefore, of regurgitant infants.