This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Probiotics improved intestine functionality among children with gastroenteritis
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
The probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus improved intestine functionality among Indian children aged 6 months to 5 years with rotavirus and cryptosporidial gastroenteritis, recent data show.
Researchers from Christian Medical College in Vellore, India, conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled study to evaluate whether probiotics were beneficial in decreasing repeated diarrheal episodes. Of the 124 patients enrolled in the study, 82 were diagnosed with rotavirus and 42 were diagnosed with cryptosporidial diarrhea; median age of patients was 13 months. Forty-five children with rotavirus and 20 children with cryptosporidial diarrhea received L. rhamnosus once daily for 4 weeks.
Researchers found that children with rotavirus who received the probiotic had significantly fewer diarrheal episodes compared with children who received placebo (25% vs. 46%). Children with cryptosporidial diarrhea did not experience similar effects, although their intestinal permeability significantly improved, especially among children who received the probiotic. Overall, about 70% of study participants had impaired intestinal function at baseline, which later decreased to 55% during follow-up. Children with rotavirus who received the probiotic experienced a significant increase in immunoglobulin G antibodies, from 456 units at baseline to 2,215 units during follow-up.
“Improvement in intestinal integrity in children with gastroenteritis treated with [L. rhamnosus] emphasizes the role of probiotics in treating intestinal impairment, post-infection. The positive immunomodulatory effect of [L. rhamnosus]may be useful in decreasing re-infections,” the researchers concluded.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts