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Probiotics

Probiotics and diarrhea in children

Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology volume 8, page 602 (2011)Cite this article

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In the first study, Szajewska and colleagues conducted a meta-analysis to investigate the beneficial effects of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG for preventing health-care-associated diarrhea in children.

Nosocomial infections, particularly gastrointestinal infections, are common in children and can result in a prolonged hospital stay and increased medical costs. “There is evidence to suggest that specific probiotics may contribute to the prevention or treatment of diarrheal diseases,” explains Szajewska. “However, there are also conflicting studies reporting no preventive effects of probiotics.” Thus, the researchers decided to focus on the efficacy of administering L. rhamnosus GG to hospitalized children to prevent health-care-associated diarrhea.

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ORIGINAL RESEARCH PAPERS

  1. Szajewska, H. et al. Meta-analysis: the effects of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG supplementation for the prevention of health-care associated diarrhoea in children. Aliment. Pharmacol. Ther. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2036.2011.04837.x

  2. Vandenplas, Y. et al. Randomised clinical trial: the synbiotic food supplement Probiotical vs. placebo for acute gastroenteritis in children. Aliment. Pharmacol. Ther. 34, 862–867 (2011)

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  1. Isobel Franks
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Franks, I. Probiotics and diarrhea in children. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 8, 602 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrgastro.2011.177

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrgastro.2011.177

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