title: Yogurt for treating acute gastroenteritis in children: Systematic review and meta-analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In May 2014, the updated guidelines for the management of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) were published. The use of yogurt in the nutritional management of AGE was not addressed, although it is frequently used in many countries for this purpose. We aimed to systematically evaluate the efficacy of yogurt consumption for the management of AGE in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this systematic review, a number of databases, including MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library, with no language restrictions, were searched up to July 2014 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the effect of yogurt consumption in children with AGE. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four RCTs (n = 448) that were generally low in methodological quality, all performed in hospital setting, were included. Compared with placebo/no intervention, yogurt consumption had no significant effect on stool volume. The data on the effect of yogurt consumption on the duration of diarrhea and stool frequency were not consistent. The chance of treatment success (or failure) was similar in both groups. Compared with placebo, the duration of hospitalization was shorter in children who received yogurt, but the difference was of a borderline significance. Total weight gain increased for those treated with yogurt.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The consumption of yogurt had a positive effect on weight gain, but no consistent effect on AGE outcomes in hospitalized children. Given the limited data and the methodological limitations of the included trials, the evidence should be viewed with caution. The effect of yogurt consumption in the ambulatory setting is unknown.
authors.affiliation: The Medical University of Warsaw, Department of Paediatrics, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Bernadeta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Patro-Gołąb
authors.affiliation: Institute of Gastroenterology, Nutrition and Liver Diseases, Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Petach-Tikva, Israel.
authors.forename: Raanan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shamir
authors.affiliation: The Medical University of Warsaw, Department of Paediatrics, Warsaw, Poland. Electronic address: hania@ipgate.pl.
authors.forename: Hania
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Szajewska
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D002648:Child; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000628:therapy*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D015430:Weight Gain; D015014:Yogurt
keywords: Cultured milk products; Diarrhea; Fermented products; Infants; Yogurt