Peptic ulcer in children

Gastric ulcers commonly occur in young infants and are mostly stress ulcers, while duodenal ulcers are more common in older children. During childhood, the average incidence of duodenal ulcers is approximately 3 to 5 times higher than that of gastric ulcers. Males are affected more often than females, with a general reported ratio of about 2:1. Peptic ulcer disease in children is uncommon during infancy and early childhood, with a higher incidence in adolescents. In recent years, due to the widespread clinical application of endoscopy in pediatric peptic ulcer disease, the reported incidence has shown an increasing trend. The disease can occur in children of all age groups, being more common in neonates and older children.