Homeopathy for childhood diarrhea: combined results and metaanalysis from three randomized, controlled clinical trials.
BACKGROUND
Previous studies have shown a positive treatment effect of individualized homeopathic treatment for acute childhood diarrhea, but sample sizes were small and results were just at or near the level of statistical significance. Because all three studies followed the same basic study design, the combined data from these three studies were analyzed to obtain greater statistical power.


METHODS
Three double blind clinical trials of diarrhea in 242 children ages 6 months to 5 years were analyzed as 1 group. Children were randomized to receive either an individualized homeopathic medicine or placebo to be taken as a single dose after each unformed stool for 5 days. Parents recorded daily stools on diary cards, and health workers made home visits daily to monitor children. The duration of diarrhea was defined as the time until there were less than 3 unformed stools per day for 2 consecutive days. A metaanalysis of the effect-size difference of the three studies was also conducted.


RESULTS
Combined analysis shows a duration of diarrhea of 3.3 days in the homeopathy group compared with 4.1 in the placebo group (P = 0.008). The metaanalysis shows a consistent effect-size difference of approximately 0.66 day (P = 0.008).


CONCLUSIONS
The results from these studies confirm that individualized homeopathic treatment decreases the duration of acute childhood diarrhea and suggest that larger sample sizes be used in future homeopathic research to ensure adequate statistical power. Homeopathy should be considered for use as an adjunct to oral rehydration for this illness.
Jacobs
Jennifer
J
Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA. jjacobs@igc.org
Jonas
Wayne B
WB
Jiménez-Pérez
Margarita
M
Crothers
Dean
D
D002675:Child, Preschool; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D003968:Diarrhea, Infantile / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005440:Fluid Therapy / Q000379:methods; D006705:Homeopathy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011336:Probability; D011379:Prognosis; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D015532:Rehydration Solutions / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D015532:Rehydration Solutions