title: Effect of a synbiotic on infantile acute gastroenteritis.
abstract: Acute gastroenteritis is still a common disease worldwide. Synbiotics are being used to alleviate the effects of acute gastroenteritis-related diarrhoea. The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of a synbiotic in reducing the duration of diarrhoea in children with acute gastroenteritis. The study has been carried out on data gathered from children with acute gastroenteritis between the age of three months and 14 years seen in paediatric polyclinics between August 2009 and April 2010. While synbiotic group patients got a sachet containing Bifidobacterium lactis 2211 with a minimum of 5×10⁶ cfu active bacteria and 900 mg chicory inulin twice daily for five days together with an oral rehydration solution, the control group only received an oral rehydration solution. Therapy with synbiotic plus an oral rehydration solution shortened the duration of acute diarrhoea in children by approximately one day compared to oral rehydration solution only.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Health and Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Kocaeli University, Umuttepe Campus, 41380 Kocaeli, Turkey. z.gundo@gmail.com
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Gundogdu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001644:Bifidobacterium / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D001691:Biological Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D018651:Cichorium intybus / Q000737:chemistry; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy / Q000379:methods; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy; D005440:Fluid Therapy / Q000379:methods; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007444:Inulin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism; D058616:Synbiotics; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D007444:Inulin