[Efficiency of lactose-free formula feeding as an adjunctive therapy in infants with acute diarrhea].
OBJECTIVE
To study the efficiency of lactose-free formula feeding as an adjunctive therapy in infants with acute diarrhea.


METHODS
A rigorous double-blind, randomized, controlled equivalence trial was performed. One hundred and twenty infants with acute diarrhea were randomly divided into two groups: lactose-free formula and conventional formula feeding. The two groups were given conventional medical treatment and oral rehydration therapy. The therapeutic effects were observed 1 week after treatment.


RESULTS
The cure rate and the total effective rate were 58.3% and 96.7% respectively in the lactose-free formula group, and they were 8.3% and 85.0% respectively in the conventional formula group. There were significant differences in the therapeutic effect between the two groups (p<0.05). The duration of diarrhea remission (3.17+/-1.04 days) in the lactose-free formula group was significantly shorter than that in the conventional formula group (5.25+/-1.58 days) (p<0.05). After treatment the incidence of fecal flora disturbance was lower in the lactose-free formula group than that in the conventional formula group (p<0.05). No aderverse events were observed in the two groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Lactose-free formula feeding together with conventional therapy can significantly shorten the disease course and improve the treatment outcome in infants with acute diarrhea.
Xu
Jia-Hua
JH
Department of Gastroenterology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 201102, China.
Huang
Ying
Y
D000208:Acute Disease; D003968:Diarrhea, Infantile / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D041943:Infant Formula; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007422:Intestines / Q000382:microbiology; D007785:Lactose; D008297:Male
D007785:Lactose