Open-label, randomised controlled trial found that a green banana mixed rice suji diet was most effective for persistent diarrhoea in children in Bangladesh.

Abstract

Persistent diarrhoea continues for at least 14 days and kills more children than acute diarrhoea. We assessed whether rice suji, green banana mixed rice suji or 75% rice suji improved persistent diarrhoea compared in young children. This open-labelled randomised controlled trial was carried out between December 2017 and August 2019 at the Dhaka Hospital of icddr,b, Bangladesh, with 135 children aged 6-35 months with persistent diarrhoea. The children were randomly assigned to green banana mixed rice suji, rice suji, or 75% rice suji, with 45 in each group. The primary outcome was the percentage who recovered from diarrhoea by day five using an intention to treat analysis. The children's median age was eight months (interquartile range 7-10 months). By day five the recovery rate was 58%, 31% and 58% children in the green banana mixed rice suji, rice suji and 75% rice suji groups, respectively. The green banana mixed rice suji group had fewer relapses (7%) than the 75% rice suji group (24%). Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli, rotavirus, norovirus, Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli, astrovirus and Campylobacter were the major pathogens for persistent diarrhoea. Green banana mixed rice suji was the most effective option for managing persistent diarrhoea in young children.