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Meta-analysis: Saccharomyces boulardii for treating acute diarrhoea in children

H Szajewska1, A Skórka, M Dylag

  • 1The Second Department of Paediatrics, The Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland. hania@ipgate.pl

Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics
|February 3, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Saccharomyces boulardii (a probiotic yeast) effectively reduces the duration of acute infectious diarrhea in children. This therapy offers a moderate clinical benefit, shortening illness duration, but requires cautious interpretation due to study limitations.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Pediatrics
  • Gastroenterology

Background:

  • Saccharomyces boulardii is a non-pathogenic probiotic yeast.
  • It is recognized for its potential to combat enteropathogens.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy of Saccharomyces boulardii in treating acute infectious diarrhea in pediatric populations.
  • To synthesize evidence from randomized-controlled trials on this therapeutic intervention.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic literature search of electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane Library) up to August 2006.
  • Inclusion of only randomized-controlled trials (RCTs) relevant to acute infectious diarrhea and S. boulardii.
  • Meta-analysis of data from eligible RCTs.

Main Results:

  • Five RCTs with 619 participants met the inclusion criteria.
  • Saccharomyces boulardii significantly shortened the duration of diarrhea by a pooled 1.1 days compared to control.
  • Reduced risk of diarrhea on days 3, 6, and 7, and a significantly lower risk of diarrhea lasting over 7 days was observed.

Conclusions:

  • Saccharomyces boulardii demonstrates moderate clinical benefit in treating acute gastroenteritis in children, primarily by reducing diarrhea duration.
  • Results should be interpreted with caution due to methodological limitations identified in the included studies.
Abstract

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