title: Meta-analysis: Lactobacillus GG for treating acute diarrhoea in children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review evidence for the effectiveness of Lactobacillus GG (LGG) in treating acute infectious diarrhoea in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  The following electronic databases were searched through August 2006 for studies relevant to acute infectious diarrhoea and LGG: MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and The Cochrane Library; additional references were obtained from reviewed articles. Only randomized-controlled trials (RCTs) were included.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eight RCTs (988 participants) met the inclusion criteria. Compared with controls, LGG had no effect on the total stool volume (two RCTs, n = 303). However, LGG was associated with a significant reduction in diarrhoea duration (seven RCTs, 876 infants, weighted mean difference, WMD -1.1 days (95% confidence interval, CI -1.9 to -0.3), particularly of rotavirus etiology (WMD -2.1 days, 95% CI -3.6 to -0.6), risk of diarrhoea >7 days (one RCT, n = 287, relative risk 0.25, 95% CI 0.09-0.75) and duration of hospitalization (three RCTs, n = 535, WMD -0.58, 95% CI -0.8 to -0.4; significance was lost in the random effect model). There was no reduction in the number of stools at any time interval.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of LGG is associated with moderate clinical benefits in the treatment of acute diarrhoea in children. These findings should be interpreted with caution due to the important methodological limitations and heterogeneity of most of the studies.
authors.affiliation: The Second Department of Paediatrics II Katedra Pediatrii, The Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Dzialdowska, Poland. hania@ipgate.pl
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Szajewska
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Skórka
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ruszczyński
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gieruszczak-Białek
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007778:Lactobacillus; D008297:Male; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D015532:Rehydration Solutions / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D015532:Rehydration Solutions