Epidemiology

Occurs in 1 to 4 per 1000 live births in the US and other Western populations, but is less common in Asia and Africa.[14][15][16][17][18] The prevalence is approximately four times greater in male infants than in female infants.[19] The disease is associated with a non-Mendelian familial pattern.[17] A mother with pyloric stenosis is more likely than a father with pyloric stenosis to have a child with the condition; however, there are insufficient data to assess maternal impact.

The prevalence of pyloric stenosis appears to have decreased slightly over recent years, with evidence emerging that environmental exposure (e.g., maternal smoking), lower maternal education, and higher deprivation levels may increase incidence.[18][20][21]

A first-born child is twice as likely to develop pyloric stenosis compared with a later-born child.[17][19][22] Pyloric stenosis is more common in bottle-fed infants.[23]

One retrospective cohort study of 1,074,236 babies born in the United States military health system found that there was a modestly increased risk of pyloric stenosis in premature infants compared with full-term infants (2.99 per 1000 premature infants vs. 2.25 per 1000 full-term infants; relative risk 1.33, 95% CI 1.16 to 1.54).[24]

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