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Impact of Probiotics on Children with Acute Gastroenteritis: Results from an Umbrella Meta-Analysis

Sen Fan1, Xianchun Mao1, Ranran Li1

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Shandong Provincial Third Hospital, Shandong University, Tianqiao District, Jinan City, Shandong Province, China.

Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine
|May 4, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Probiotics can help prevent acute gastroenteritis (AG) in children and reduce symptoms like diarrhea and vomiting. Specific strains, doses, and durations are key for optimal effectiveness in treating pediatric AG.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Gastroenterology
  • Microbiome Research
  • Clinical Pharmacology

Background:

  • Probiotics are explored for treating acute gastroenteritis (AG) in children.
  • Optimal probiotic strains, dosages, and treatment durations for AG remain undetermined.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To conduct an umbrella meta-analysis assessing the clinical efficacy of various probiotic strains on pediatric acute gastroenteritis.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic literature search of PubMed and Scopus up to October 12, 2025.
  • Included 36 meta-analyses with 107,541 participants.
  • Analyzed continuous and binary outcomes using standardized mean difference and relative risk.

Main Results:

  • Probiotics may prevent AG and reduce diarrhea duration, vomiting, fever, and hospital stays.
  • Effects are strain-specific and influenced by dose (CFUs) and duration.
  • Effective strains include *Saccharomyces boulardii CNCM I-745*, *Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG*, and others.

Conclusions:

  • Probiotics demonstrate potential in preventing AG and alleviating its symptoms in pediatric populations.
  • Strain selection, dosage, and duration are critical factors for probiotic efficacy in AG treatment.
Abstract

Keywords:
acute gastroenteritischildrendiarrheaprobioticsumbrella meta-analysis

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