Abstract | BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that selected strains of lactobacilli that are administered orally result in a modest reduction of diarrhea duration. However, duration alone is not considered optimal for therapeutic evaluation of any agent in diarrhea. OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of a new probiotic, Lactobacillus paracasei strain ST11 (ST11), in acute childhood diarrhea by using evaluation criteria recommended by the World Health Organization. METHODS: In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, 230 male infants and young children, 4 to 24 months of age, presenting with diarrhea of <2 days' duration were admitted to the metabolic research ward of the International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh, and fed 10(10) colony-forming units of lyophilized ST11 or placebo daily for 5 days. Stool output and frequency, oral rehydration solution intake, and excretion of rotavirus were monitored daily. RESULTS: No effect of ST11 treatment on severe rotavirus diarrhea was observed. However, the probiotic treatment did significantly reduce cumulative stool output (225 +/- 218 vs 381 +/- 240 mL/kg), stool frequency (27.9 +/- 17 vs 42.5 +/- 26), and oral rehydration solution intake (180 +/- 207 vs 331 +/- 236 mL/kg) in children with less-severe nonrotavirus diarrhea compared with those receiving placebo treatment. A significantly higher proportion of nonrotavirus children receiving ST11 had their diarrhea resolve within 6 days of therapy (ST11 versus placebo: 76% vs 49%). CONCLUSIONS: ST11 has a clinically significant benefit in the management of children with nonrotavirus-induced diarrhea, but it is ineffective in those with rotavirus diarrhea.
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Authors | Shafiqul A Sarker, Shamima Sultana, George J Fuchs, Nur H Alam, Tasnim Azim, Harald Brüssow, Lennart Hammarström |
Journal | Pediatrics
(Pediatrics)
Vol. 116
Issue 2
Pg. e221-8
(Aug 2005)
ISSN: 1098-4275 [Electronic] United States |
PMID | 15995003
(Publication Type: Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
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Topics |
- Bangladesh
- Diarrhea, Infantile
(therapy, virology)
- Double-Blind Method
- Feces
(microbiology, virology)
- Humans
- Infant
- Lactobacillus
- Male
- Probiotics
(therapeutic use)
- Rotavirus
(isolation & purification)
- Rotavirus Infections
(therapy)
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