Bifidobacterium lactis in Treatment of Children with Acute Diarrhea. A Randomized Double Blind Controlled Trial.
BACKGROUND
Probiotics are becoming increasingly popular treatment for children diarrhea. Although there are several probiotic strains potentially useful, researches were often limited to certain strains.


OBJECTIVE
To test Bifidobacterium lactis on morbidity of acute diarrhea in children less than 2 years.


METHODS
A randomized double-blind controlled clinical trial was conducted in 50 children (1 - 23 months) admitted with acute diarrhea to the Pediatric Hospital, Cairo University and were randomly assigned to receive in addition to usual treatment of diarrhea according to WHO guidelines; one of two treatments either milk formula non-supplemented (n = 25) or supplemented (n = 25) with Bifidobacterium lactis 14.5 × 10(6) CFU/100 ml daily for one week. Primary outcomes were frequency and duration of diarrhea and hospital stay. Secondary outcomes were duration of fever and vomiting episodes. Safety and tolerance were also recorded.


RESULTS
On admission, patients' characteristics of both groups (50 cases) were similar. For children who received the probiotics for one week; mean duration of diarrhoea was shorter than in controls (3.12 ± 0.92 vs. 4.10 ± 0.94 days) (P = 0.02), number of motions per day was less than in controls (3.96 ± 0.62 vs. 4.46 ± 0.85) (P = 0.04) and discharge from hospital <2 days was more frequent than in controls (72% vs. 44%) (P = 0.048). There was no effect on fever (P = 0.63) or vomiting (P = 0.54).


CONCLUSIONS
Bifidobacterium lactis probiotics in supplemented milk formula decreased significantly frequency, duration of diarrhea, and hospital stay than usual treatment alone in children with acute diarrhea. Additional researches on other uncommon local probiotic species should be encouraged.
Complementary Medicine Department, Medical Researches Division, National Research Center, El-Behouth Street, 12311 Cairo, Egypt.
Neveen Helmy Abou
NH
El-Soud
Pediatric Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
Reem Nabil
RN
Said
Pediatric Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
Dalia Sayed
DS
Mosallam
Pediatric Department, National Research Center, El-Behouth Street, 12311 Cairo, Egypt.
Nahla Abdel Moniem
NA
Barakat
Complementary Medicine Department, Medical Researches Division, National Research Center, El-Behouth Street, 12311 Cairo, Egypt.
Mohamed Ahmed
MA
Sabry
Bifidobacterium lactis; acute diarrhea; children; probiotics