Association of Consuming Tap Water or Purified Water during Infancy with Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Children
Kim JH, Baek HS, Ha EK, Cha HR, Lee SW, Han MY · Children · 2022 January 20
DOI 10.3390/children9020135
Objective
To examine the impact of consuming formula powder prepared with tap water or purified water during the initial 4 to 6 months of life on the subsequent development of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in children born in Korea between 2007 and 2008.
Conclusions
Analysis of 917,707 children revealed that those who consumed formula powder prepared with purified water had a higher risk of developing IBS compared to those using tap water (HR: 1.05; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.09). This association persisted in subgroup analyses by gender and sensitivity analyses using different IBS definitions. The findings suggest a potential link between the type of water used for formula preparation in early infancy and the development of IBS.
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