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Published on: August 6, 2018
[Efficiency of lactose-free formula feeding as an adjunctive therapy in infants with acute diarrhea]
1Department of Gastroenterology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 201102, China.
Insights
Lactose-free formula feeding significantly improves treatment outcomes for infants with acute diarrhea, shortening disease duration and reducing fecal flora disturbance compared to conventional formula. This adjunctive therapy enhances recovery.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Clinical Nutrition
Context:
- Acute diarrhea is a common pediatric illness.
- Conventional formula feeding may exacerbate symptoms in some infants.
Purpose:
- To evaluate the efficacy of lactose-free formula as an adjunctive therapy for acute diarrhea in infants.
Summary:
- A randomized controlled trial involving 120 infants with acute diarrhea compared lactose-free formula with conventional formula.
- Lactose-free formula demonstrated significantly higher cure rates (58.3% vs. 8.3%), effective rates (96.7% vs. 85.0%), and shorter remission durations (3.17 vs. 5.25 days).
- Lower incidence of fecal flora disturbance was observed in the lactose-free group without adverse events.
Impact:
- Lactose-free formula feeding is a beneficial adjunctive therapy for acute diarrhea in infants.
- This approach can lead to faster recovery and improved gut health.
- Findings support the use of lactose-free formulas in managing pediatric acute diarrhea.
Objective:
To study the efficiency of lactose-free formula feeding as an adjunctive therapy in infants with acute diarrhea.
Methods:
A rigorous double-blind, randomized, controlled equivalence trial was performed. One hundred and twenty infants with acute diarrhea were randomly divided into two groups: lactose-free formula and conventional formula feeding. The two groups were given conventional medical treatment and oral rehydration therapy. The therapeutic effects were observed 1 week after treatment.
Results:
The cure rate and the total effective rate were 58.3% and 96.7% respectively in the lactose-free formula group, and they were 8.3% and 85.0% respectively in the conventional formula group. There were significant differences in the therapeutic effect between the two groups (p<0.05). The duration of diarrhea remission (3.17+/-1.04 days) in the lactose-free formula group was significantly shorter than that in the conventional formula group (5.25+/-1.58 days) (p<0.05). After treatment the incidence of fecal flora disturbance was lower in the lactose-free formula group than that in the conventional formula group (p<0.05). No aderverse events were observed in the two groups.
Conclusions:
Lactose-free formula feeding together with conventional therapy can significantly shorten the disease course and improve the treatment outcome in infants with acute diarrhea.
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