Efficacy of milk versus yogurt offered as part of a mixed diet in acute noncholera diarrhea among malnourished children.
We compared the clinical outcome of acute diarrhea in 96 malnourished boys (aged 4 to 47 months) receiving full-strength milk compared with yogurt offered as part of a mixed diet. All had weight for height less than or equal to 80% of the National Centre for Health Statistics median. They were randomly assigned to receive milk formula (MF; 67 cal/100 ml) or yogurt formula (YF; prepared from the same milk formula) at the rate of 120 ml/kg body weight in seven divided feedings. Stool-reducing substances (> 1%) were detected more frequently in the MF group, and the differences were significant for day 3 of the study (p = 0.04). However, the geometric mean (95% confidence interval) of the total stool weights (gm/kg) during 0 to 72 hours (MF 128.8 [103, 161.4]; YF 110.9 [87, 142.2]) was comparable (p = 0.37) as was the median (range) duration of diarrhea (hours) (MF 45 [4, 183]; YF 52 [7, 173] p = 0.94). The treatment failure rates in the MF (8.2%) and YF (6.3%) groups were also similar (p = 0.67). The children consuming milk had higher median percent weight gain at the end of 72 hours of the study (p = 0.04) and at recovery (p = 0.02). Routine substitution of yogurt as small frequent feedings as an addition for semisolid food to malnourished children with acute diarrhea does not achieve any significant clinical benefit versus milk.
Bhatnagar
S
S
Indian Council of Medical Research Advanced Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research, Department of Pediatrics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi, India.
Singh
K D
KD
Sazawal
S
S
Saxena
S K
SK
Bhan
M K
MK
D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D015362:Child Nutrition Disorders / Q000178:diet therapy*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000178:diet therapy*; D003968:Diarrhea, Infantile / Q000178:diet therapy; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007228:Infant Nutrition Disorders / Q000178:diet therapy; D008297:Male; D008892:Milk; D015532:Rehydration Solutions / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015430:Weight Gain; D015014:Yogurt
D015532:Rehydration Solutions