Effect of probiotics in the treatment of acute noninflammatory diarrhea in hospitalized children aged 2–10 years

Abstract

Objective: Diarrhea is the second leading cause of death in children. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of probiotics in the treatment of acute noninflammatory diarrhea in children aged 2–10 years in the Pediatric Ward of Hajar Hospital in Shahrekord. Methods: This clinical trial was performed on 184 children with diarrhea. Eighty‑six children were randomly assigned to the KidiLact probiotic group and 87 ones to the control group. Patients’ demographic information, symptoms, and other variables were recorded in a checklist. The data were analyzed by SPSS version 16 (Chicago, IL) using Chi‑square and independent t‑test. Results: The mean frequency of diarrhea in the 2nd and 4th days (P < 0.001), duration of fever (P = 0.01), duration of diarrhea (P < 0.001), and duration of hospital stay (P = 0.001) were significantly lower in the probiotic group than those in the control group. The frequency of recovery in the 2nd (P = 0.013) and 4th (P < 0.001) days was significantly higher in the probiotic group than that in the control group. There was no significant difference in the frequency of dyspepsia between the patients of the two groups (P = 0.331). Conclusion: Probiotics are effective in the treatment of acute noninflammatory diarrhea in children aged 2–10 years and can be used as a safe treatment alongside the standard treatment.