TY - JOUR
T1 - A placebo-controlled trial of Lactobacillus GG to prevent diarrhea in undernourished Peruvian children
AU - Oberhelman, Richard A.
AU - Gilman, Robert H.
AU - Sheen, Patricia
AU - Taylor, David
AU - Black, Robert E.
AU - Cabrera, Lilia
AU - Lescano, Andrés G.
AU - Meza, Rina
AU - Madico, Guillermo
N1 - Funding Information:
Supported by a grant from the Thrasher Research Fund.
PY - 1999
Y1 - 1999
N2 - Objective: Lactobacillus GG (L-GG), an acid- and bile-resistant strain that colonizes the intestinal mucosa, has been used to manage diarrhea in children. Our objective was to evaluate the prophylactic use of L-GG to prevent diarrhea in children at high risk from a developing country in a randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Study design: Two hundred four undernourished children 6 to 24 months old from an indigent peri-urban Peruvian town received either L-GG or placebo in flavored gelatin once daily, 6 days a week, for 15 months. Episodes of diarrhea were documented by daily home visits, and diagnostic studies were done in a subset of cases. Recovery of L-GG in stool from subjects and from family contacts was examined. Results: Subjects in the L-GG group had significantly fewer episodes of diarrhea (5.21 episodes diarrhea/child/year ['ecy'] L-GG group, 6.02 ecy placebo group; P = .028). The decreased incidence of diarrhea in the L-GG group was greatest in the 18- to 29-month age group (P = .004) and was largely limited to nonbreastfed children (Breastfed: 6.59 ecy L-GG, 6.32 ecy placebo, P = .7; Nonbreastfed: 4.69 ecy L-GG, 5.86 ecy placebo, P = .005). The duration of diarrhea episodes and the causes of diarrhea were similar in both groups, except adenovirus was more common in the placebo group. Conclusion: L-GG supplementation may be useful as a prophylactic measure to control diarrhea in undernourished children at increased risk, especially nonbreastfed children in the toddler age group.
AB - Objective: Lactobacillus GG (L-GG), an acid- and bile-resistant strain that colonizes the intestinal mucosa, has been used to manage diarrhea in children. Our objective was to evaluate the prophylactic use of L-GG to prevent diarrhea in children at high risk from a developing country in a randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Study design: Two hundred four undernourished children 6 to 24 months old from an indigent peri-urban Peruvian town received either L-GG or placebo in flavored gelatin once daily, 6 days a week, for 15 months. Episodes of diarrhea were documented by daily home visits, and diagnostic studies were done in a subset of cases. Recovery of L-GG in stool from subjects and from family contacts was examined. Results: Subjects in the L-GG group had significantly fewer episodes of diarrhea (5.21 episodes diarrhea/child/year ['ecy'] L-GG group, 6.02 ecy placebo group; P = .028). The decreased incidence of diarrhea in the L-GG group was greatest in the 18- to 29-month age group (P = .004) and was largely limited to nonbreastfed children (Breastfed: 6.59 ecy L-GG, 6.32 ecy placebo, P = .7; Nonbreastfed: 4.69 ecy L-GG, 5.86 ecy placebo, P = .005). The duration of diarrhea episodes and the causes of diarrhea were similar in both groups, except adenovirus was more common in the placebo group. Conclusion: L-GG supplementation may be useful as a prophylactic measure to control diarrhea in undernourished children at increased risk, especially nonbreastfed children in the toddler age group.
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U2 - 10.1016/S0022-3476(99)70366-5
DO - 10.1016/S0022-3476(99)70366-5
M3 - Article
C2 - 9880443
AN - SCOPUS:0032963451
SN - 0022-3476
VL - 134
SP - 15
EP - 20
JO - Journal of Pediatrics
JF - Journal of Pediatrics
IS - 1
ER -