Persistent diarrhoea: clinical efficacy and nutrient absorption with a rice based diet

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Gastroenterology
• Nutritional Science

Background:

• Persistent diarrhea is a common and serious condition in infants.
• Malabsorption of nutrients is a significant complication of persistent diarrhea.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the clinical efficacy of a rice-based diet in infants with persistent diarrhea.
• To assess nutrient absorption in infants with persistent diarrhea compared to healthy controls.

Main Methods:

• A clinical study involving 26 infants with persistent diarrhea and 25 healthy controls.
• A 72-hour metabolic balance study to measure nutrient absorption.
• Diet consisted of rice powder, egg white, glucose, and soya oil.

Main Results:

• Twenty-one out of 26 infants recovered from diarrhea within seven days.
• Significantly lower median nutrient absorption coefficients in patients compared to controls for energy, fat, nitrogen, and carbohydrates.
• Median energy absorption: 68.0% in patients vs. 90.0% in controls.
• Median fat absorption: 60.0% in patients vs. 95.0% in controls.
• Median nitrogen absorption: 53.0% in patients vs. 70.0% in controls.
• Median carbohydrate absorption: 81.0% in patients vs. 93.0% in controls.

Conclusions:

• Persistent diarrhea leads to substantial reductions in macronutrient absorption.
• A rice-based diet demonstrates clinical effectiveness in managing persistent diarrhea in infants.
• Dietary interventions are crucial for improving outcomes in infants with persistent diarrhea.