Medical experts warned local parents yesterday not to chew their infant children's food for them as the practice could spread a bacterium called Helicobacter Pylori, or HP, which is a major cause of stomach ulcers and digestive ailments.

Renji Hospital set up a medical center yesterday for diagnosing and treating HP-related diseases.

According to experts, HP infections can result in a series of digestive problems, including ulcers, gastritis and even stomach cancer.

"More than 95 percent of stomach ulcer and duodenal ulcer patients are infected with HP, and 80 percent of stomach cancer patients have the infection," said Dr Xiao Shudong.

Doctors said HP infections are very common, but the public knows little about the bacterium.

Between 20 and 40 percent of adults have HP in developed nations, while the figures are much higher in developing countries. In Shanghai, 60 percent of local adults and 50 percent of children are infected with the bacterium.

"HP is normally spread through mouth-to-mouth contact. Many people get infection in childhood and develop symptoms later, normally in their 50s and 60s," Xiao added.

"I always chew the food beforehand and feed my 1-year-old son. I should change the habit and use other means to soften food in the future," said Chen Jian, a local mother.

Source: Shanghai Daily News