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Oral bacterial therapy promotes recovery from acute diarrhea in children
1Department of Pediatrics, Cathay General Hospital, 280, Section 4, Jen-Ai Road, Taipei, Taiwan.
Insights
Probiotics like Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium infantis can effectively reduce the duration and frequency of acute diarrhea in hospitalized children. This oral bacterial therapy offers a safe and beneficial adjuvant treatment option.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Pediatrics
- Microbiology
Background:
- Lactobacilli are crucial for intestinal defense against bacterial and viral infections.
- Acute diarrhea is a common pediatric illness requiring effective treatment strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficacy of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium infantis in treating acute diarrhea in hospitalized children.
- To evaluate the impact of oral probiotic supplementation on diarrhea duration and frequency.
Main Methods:
- A prospective clinical study involving 100 children (6-60 months) with acute diarrhea.
- Randomized allocation into a study group (probiotics) and a control group (parenteral rehydration only).
- Assessment of diarrhea frequency, duration, and dehydration levels.
Main Results:
- The probiotic group showed a statistically significant improvement in diarrhea frequency on hospitalization days 1 and 2.
- The duration of diarrhea during hospitalization was significantly reduced in the probiotic group (3.1 days vs. 3.6 days).
- Probiotic supplementation was well-tolerated and effective in both rotavirus-positive and negative children.
Conclusions:
- Oral bacterial therapy with Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium infantis is an effective adjuvant treatment for acute diarrhea in children.
- Probiotics can be safely administered during acute diarrheal episodes to improve clinical outcomes.
Abstract:
Lactobacilli in the intestines play an important role in developing natural defenses against both intestinal bacterial and viral infections. So a prospective clinical study was carried out at Cathay General Hospital to determine the effect of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium infantis on the course of acute diarrhea in hospitalized children. Altogether 100 children between 6 and 60 months of age were collected and randomly allocated into 2 groups. Study group (n = 50) was given Infloran Berna, which contains 10(9) viable Lactobacillus acidophilus and 10(9) Bifidobacterium infantis, one capsule tid for 4 days and control group (n = 50) received parenteral rehydration only without any medication. Only 20 stool cultures in study group had positive culture results for Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium. All children were evaluated for the degree of dehydration before rehydration. The clinical course of diarrhea was followed during the treatment period. Features on admission were similar between the study group and control group in age, duration of diarrhea at home, serum sodium & potassium and dehydration degree. The duration of diarrhea was defined as the time until the last appearance of watery stool. There was no difference between the study group and control group in the frequency of diarrhea stools on the day before admission (p > 0.05). However, the frequency of diarrhea for study group improved on the first and second day of hospitalization with statistical difference (p < 0.01). The duration of diarrhea during hospitalization in study group also decreased (3.1 vs. 3.6 days, p < 0.01). Oral bacterial therapy is an effective adjuvant therapy in rotavirus positive and negative children with diarrhea and can safely be administered during an episode of acute diarrhea.