Lack of effect of nucleotide-supplemented infant formula on the management of acute diarrhea in infants.
Nucleotides have been identified as conditionally essential nutrients. As prevention studies, conducted with nucleotide-supplemented formula, have shown statistically significant decrease in the risk of diarrhea, we tested the hypothesis that the consumption of nucleotide-supplemented formula during an acute diarrhea episode is associated with therapeutic effects in the treatment of infants with acute diarrhea and dehydration. A randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial was conducted in which patients were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatment groups. The "test" group consumed a nucleotide-supplemented infant formula and the "control" group consumed a nonsupplemented formula. Infants were accommodated in a metabolic unit where body weight, and all intakes and outputs were recorded at 24-hour intervals during hospitalization. Laboratory parameters including blood gases and electrolytes were monitored during hospitalization. Eighty-one male infants ranging in age from older than 1 month and younger than 1 year, with acute non-cholera diarrhea and dehydration were studied. Primary outcomes were stool output and duration of diarrhea and did not differ significantly between the groups, with a stool output of 304.2 (SD 254.0) vs 350.3 (SD 269.1) g/kg and a duration of diarrhea of 83.3 (SD 44.5) vs 88.8 (SD 46.6) for the test and control groups, respectively. Anemia was highly prevalent and breast-feeding practice was not frequent in both groups. The average energy intake and weight gain were similar in the 2 groups. This study demonstrated that nucleotide supplementation of infant formula during episodes of acute diarrhea has no therapeutic advantage compared to conventional infant formula.
Fima Lifshitz Research Center, Pediatric Hospital, Federal University of Bahia, 40.110-170 Bahia, Brazil.
Daniela
D
Neri-Almeida
Angela
A
Peixoto de Mattos
Tereza Cristina
TC
Medrado Ribeiro
Patrícia
P
Silva de Almeida Mendes
Sandra
S
Santos Valois
Hugo
H
da Costa Ribeiro
D000208:Acute Disease; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000188:drug therapy*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D041943:Infant Formula / Q000008:administration & dosage; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D009711:Nucleotides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013997:Time Factors
D009711:Nucleotides