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Saccharomyces boulardii in acute childhood diarrhoea: a randomized, placebo-controlled study

Gladys Villarruel1, Daniel Martinez Rubio, Fani Lopez

  • 1Hospital Privado Materno Infantil, National University of Salta, Campo Castañares, Salta, Argentina.

Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)
|February 20, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Saccharomyces boulardii (S. boulardii) significantly reduced diarrhea duration in young children. Early administration of this probiotic with oral rehydration solution (ORS) accelerated recovery and lowered the risk of prolonged illness.

Area of Science:

  • Gastroenterology
  • Microbiology
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Acute infectious gastroenteritis is a common cause of illness in young children.
  • Oral rehydration solution (ORS) is the standard treatment for dehydration.
  • Adjuvant therapies are sought to shorten illness duration and improve outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the efficacy of Saccharomyces boulardii (S. boulardii) as an adjunct to ORS.
  • To determine if S. boulardii shortens the duration of acute infectious gastroenteritis in children under 2 years old.
  • To evaluate S. boulardii's effect on recovery speed and prolonged diarrhea risk.

Main Methods:

  • A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial was conducted.
  • 100 outpatients aged 3-24 months with mild to moderate acute diarrhea were enrolled.
  • Participants received either S. boulardii or a placebo for 6 days, alongside ORS.

Main Results:

  • The mean diarrhea duration was significantly shorter in the S. boulardii group (4.70 days) compared to placebo (6.16 days).
  • S. boulardii treatment led to fewer stools per day on the 4th day of illness.
  • The risk of diarrhea lasting over 7 days was substantially reduced with S. boulardii.

Conclusions:

  • Saccharomyces boulardii, when used with ORS, effectively decreases diarrhea duration in young children.
  • Early administration of S. boulardii (within 48 hours) appears to enhance its efficacy.
  • S. boulardii is a promising adjuvant therapy for managing acute gastroenteritis in pediatric ambulatory care.
Abstract

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