Proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) are frequently prescribed to suppress stomach acid in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Prescribing rates of PPIs in children have risen more than 500% in the past two decades, despite growing concerns about their risks: Previous research has linked their use to an increased risk of various pulmonary and gastrointestinal infections in both adults and children. The Aerodigestive Center at Boston Children's Hospital has been at the forefront of research into PPIs and children.
Two recent studies from the center offer more insight into their effects. No increased risk of COVID-19 from PPIs Several studies in adults have examined the association between the use of PPIs and COVID-19 infection. Although results have varied across individual studies, meta-analyses have generally found little to no increased risk of COVID-19 infection in adults taking PPIs and a possible increased risk of more severe infection in COVID-19 positive adults taking PPIs.
However, little is known about the effects of PPIs on the risk of COVID-19 in children. To learn more about this relationship, Suzanna Hirsch, MD, and her colleagues in the Aerodigestive Center reviewed data from the medical records of 116,209 children who were tested for COVID-19 between March 2020 and January 2023 at Boston Children's. They also searched the records to identify which of these patients also took PPIs prior to COVID-19 testing.
The team found no association between PPI us.