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Effect of a synbiotic on functional abdominal pain in childhood
Azade Gholizadeh1, Sanaz Mehrabani2, Mohammadreza Esmaeili Dooki2
1Student Research Committee, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.
Insights
A synbiotic containing fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) and beneficial bacteria effectively reduced functional abdominal pain (FAP) in children. This treatment significantly decreased pain intensity, frequency, and duration compared to placebo.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Microbiome Research
- Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders
Background:
- Functional abdominal pain (FAP) is a common condition in children.
- Current treatments for FAP have varying efficacy.
- Synbiotics offer a potential therapeutic avenue by modulating gut microbiota.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of a specific synbiotic formulation in treating childhood FAP.
- To compare the synbiotic's effectiveness against a placebo in a randomized controlled trial.
Main Methods:
- A placebo-controlled, double-blind trial involving children aged 4-15 meeting Rome III criteria for FAP.
- Participants received either synbiotic or placebo twice daily for 4 weeks.
- Primary outcome: ≥50% reduction in pain episodes; Secondary outcomes: reduced pain duration and intensity.
Main Results:
- The synbiotic group showed a significantly higher response rate (53.1%) compared to placebo (11.4%; p<0.001).
- Synbiotic administration led to significant reductions in pain duration (p=0.04), frequency (p<0.001), and intensity (p<0.001).
- The synbiotic was found to be superior to placebo in all measured outcomes.
Conclusions:
- Synbiotics are effective in reducing the intensity, frequency, and duration of functional abdominal pain in children.
- This synbiotic formulation represents a promising therapeutic option for pediatric FAP.
Background:
One of the common functional gastrointestinal disorders in children is functional abdominal pain (FAP). The aim of the present study was to determine whether the administration of a synbiotic composed of fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) and the seven types of beneficial bacteria is useful in FAP of childhood.
Methods:
In this placebo-controlled, double-blind trial, 4-15-year-old children who met the Rome III criteria for FAP were randomly divided to receive either synbiotic or placebo twice daily for 4 weeks. Primary outcome was at least 50% reduction in the number of pain episodes, and secondary outcomes were a decline of at least two scales in the pain duration and intensity based on Wong-Baker scale. Response to therapy was decrease of pain frequency/intensity.
Results:
A total of 67 children completed the trial (35 with synbiotic). Response rate was higher with synbiotic than placebo after four weeks (53.1 vs 11.4%; p<0.001), and synbiotic had significant superiority to placebo to relieve the duration (4.56±9.12 vs12±18.59, min/day, P=0.04), frequency (0.31±0.53vs 1.17±0.7, episode/Wk., P<.001) and intensity (2.38±2.29 vs 5.49±1.83, p<0.001) of abdominal pain.
Conclusion:
Synbiotic compared to placebo significantly decreased the intensity, frequency and duration of FAP in children.
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