Probiotics in the treatment of acute rotavirus diarrhoea. A randomized, double-blind, controlled trial using two different probiotic preparations in Bolivian children Effect of probiotic Lactobacillus strains in young children hospitalized with acute diarrhea Effect of probiotic Lactobacillus strains on acute diarrhea in a cohort of nonhospitalized children attending day-care centers Multicenter Trial of a Combination Probiotic for Children with Gastroenteritis Probiotics for treatment of acute diarrhoea in children: randomised clinical trial of five different preparations Lactobacillus paracasei Strain ST11 Has No Effect on Rotavirus but Ameliorates the Outcome of Nonrotavirus Diarrhea in Children From Bangladesh Immune response and intestinal permeability in children with acute gastroenteritis treated with Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Effect of a lactose-free milk formula supplemented with bifidobacteria and streptococci on the recovery from acute diarrhoea. Oral bacterial therapy promotes recovery from acute diarrhea in children. Evaluation of a Diet Containing Probiotics and Zinc for the Treatment of Mild Diarrheal Illness in Children Younger Than One Year of Age Nitazoxanide vs. probiotics for the treatment of acute rotavirus diarrhea in children: a randomized, single-blind, controlled trial in Bolivian children. Limitations of Probiotic Therapy in Acute, Severe Dehydrating Diarrhea Efficacy of Lactobacillus GG in Aboriginal Children With Acute Diarrhoeal Disease: A Randomised Clinical Trial Use of VSL♯3 in the Treatment of Rotavirus Diarrhea in Children: Preliminary Results Oral bacterial therapy reduces the duration of symptoms and of viral excretion in children with mild diarrhea. 27. ORAL IMMUNOGLOBULINS FOR TREATMENT OF ACUTE ROTAVIRAL GASTROENTERITIS Probiotic Effects on Cold and Influenza-Like Symptom Incidence and Duration in Children
Background Evidence suggests that probiotics reduce  rotavirus diarrhoea duration . Although there are several probiotic strains potentially useful , daily practice is often limited by the type and number of products locally available . In general , information about combined products is scarce . In this study we compare the effect of two probiotic products in the treatment of diarrhoea in children less than 2 years of age . Methods A R and omized double-blind controlled clinical trial in children hospitalized for acute rotavirus diarrhoea , in the Paediatric Centre Albina Patino , Cochabamba , Bolivia . Participants were children aged 1 - 23 months , who were r and omly assigned to receive one of three treatments : Oral rehydration therapy plus placebo ; Oral rehydration solution plus Saccharomyces boulardii ; or Oral rehydration solution plus a compound containing Lactobacillus acidophilus , Lactobacillus rhamnosus , Bifidobacterium longum and Saccharomyces boulardii . Sample size was 20 per group and the outcomes were duration of diarrhoea , of fever , of vomiting and of hospitalization . Results 64 cases finished the protocol . On admission , patients ' characteristics were similar . Median duration of diarrhoea ( p = 0.04 ) in children who received the single species product ( 58 hours ) was shorter than in controls ( 84.5 hrs ) . Comparing children that received the single probiotic product and controls showed shorter duration of fever ( 18 vs 67 hrs ) ( p = 0.0042 ) and the mixed probiotic of vomiting ( 0 vs 42.5 hrs ) ( p = 0.041 ) . There was no effect on duration of hospitalization ( p = 0.31 ) . When experimental groups were merged , statistical significance of changes increased ( total duration of diarrhoea , fever and vomiting P = 0.025 , P = 0.025 and P = 0.014 , respectively ) . Conclusions Both products decreased the duration of diarrhoea compared to oral rehydration solution alone . This decrease was significant only for the single species product which also decreased the duration of fever . With the multiple species product there was no vomiting subsequent to the initiation of treatment . The quantity of probiotic bacteria needed for optimum treatment of gastroenteritis remains to be determined , particularly when multiple species are included in the product . Trial Registration Clinical Trials ( NCT ) : Background . Oral bacteriotherapy promotes recovery from acute childhood diarrhea , but few strains have been shown to have therapeutic potentials . We examined the effect of two newly identified probiotic Lactobacillus strains in acute childhood diarrhea .  Methods . Sixty-nine children were r and omized during hospitalization for acute diarrhea to receive a mixture of Lactobacillus rhamnosus 19070 - 2 and Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 12246 , 1010 colony-forming units of each strain or placebo twice daily for 5 days . Before selection of these stains their potential probiotic characteristics were demonstrated in vitro and in healthy volunteers . Results . In patients receiving probiotics , the diarrheal phase was reduced by 20 % . The duration of diarrhea was 82 h in the treatment group vs. 101 h in the control group ( not significant , P = 0.07 ) . However , 3 of 30 patients from the treatment group vs. 13 of 39 from the control group still had loose stools at the end of the study period ( P = 0.03 ) . In patients with diarrhea for < 60 h before start of treatment ( early intervention ) , a clear effect of the probiotics was demonstrated ( 80 h in the treatment group vs. 130 h in the control group , P = 0.003 ) . After early intervention , the length of hospitalization was reduced by 48 % ( 3.5 vs. 1.7 days , P = 0.03 ) . At the end of the intervention , rotavirus antigen was found in 12 % of patients from the treatment group vs. 46 % from the control group ( P = 0.02 ) . Conclusions . The two probiotics , L. rhamnosus 19070 - 2 and L. reuteri DSM 12246 , ameliorated acute  diarrhea in hospitalized children and reduced the period of rotavirus excretion . Oral bacteriotherapy was associated with a reduced length of hospital stay . The beneficial effects were most prominent in children treated early in the diarrheal phase Background . Certain strains of lactobacilli have been shown to promote recovery from rotavirus enteritis in hospitalized children . Few studies have examined the effect of probiotics in nonhospitalized children with mild diarrhea . Methods . We studied in a r and omized placebo-controlled trial the effect of lyophilized Lactobacillus rhamnosus 19070 - 2 and Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 12246 , 1010 colony-forming units of each strain twice daily for 5 days , on acute diarrhea in children in a cohort of children recruited from local day-care centers . The duration of diarrhea and assessment of stool consistency were recorded by the parents . Results . In patients treated with the selected Lactobacillus strains , the mean duration of diarrhea after intervention was reduced ( 76 h in patients treated with probiotics vs. 116 h in the placebo group;P = 0.05 ) . In patients with diarrhea for < 60 h before start of treatment ( early intervention ) , a more pronounced effect of probiotics was found . The time to recovery after early treatment was 79 h vs. 139 h in the placebo group ( P = 0.02 ) ; 1 of 17 patients treated early vs. 6 of 13 in the control group still had loose stools 120 h after start of treatment ( P = 0.03 ) . Conclusions . In children from day-care centers with mild gastroenteritis , the combination of L. rhamnosus 19070 - 2 and L. reuteri DSM 12246 was effective in reducing the duration of diarrhea Background Gastroenteritis accounts for approximately 1.7 million visits to the emergency department ( ED ) by children in the United States every year . Data to determine whether the use of probiotics improves outcomes in these children are lacking . Methods We conducted a r and omized , double‐blind trial involving 886 children 3 to 48 months of age with gastroenteritis who presented to six pediatric EDs in Canada . Participants received a 5‐day course of a combination probiotic product containing Lactobacillus rhamnosus R0011 and L. helveticus R0052 , at a dose of 4.0 × 109 colony‐forming units twice daily or placebo . The primary outcome was moderate‐to‐severe gastroenteritis , which was defined according to a post‐enrollment modified Vesikari scale symptom score of 9 or higher ( scores range from 0 to 20 , with higher scores indicating more severe disease ) . Secondary outcomes included the duration of diarrhea and vomiting , the percentage of children who had unscheduled physician visits , and the presence or absence of adverse events . Results Moderate‐to‐severe gastroenteritis within 14 days after enrollment occurred in 108 of 414 participants ( 26.1 % ) who were assigned to probiotics and 102 of 413 participants ( 24.7 % ) who were assigned to placebo ( odds ratio , 1.06 ; 95 % confidence interval [ CI ] , 0.77 to 1.46 ; P=0.72 ) . After adjustment for trial site , age , detection of rotavirus in stool , and frequency of diarrhea and vomiting before enrollment , trial‐group assignment did not predict moderate‐to‐severe gastroenteritis ( odds ratio , 1.06 ; 95 % CI , 0.76 to 1.49 ; P=0.74 ) . There were no significant differences between the probiotic group and the placebo group in the median duration of diarrhea ( 52.5 hours [ interquartile range , 18.3 to 95.8 ] and 55.5 hours [ interquartile range , 20.2 to 102.3 ] , respectively ; P=0.31 ) or vomiting ( 17.7 hours [ interquartile range , 0 to 58.6 ] and 18.7 hours [ interquartile range , 0 to 51.6 ] , P=0.18 ) , the percentages of participants with unscheduled visits to a health care provider ( 30.2 % and 26.6 % ; odds ratio , 1.19 ; 95 % CI , 0.87 to 1.62 ; P=0.27 ) , and the percentage of participants who reported an adverse event ( 34.8 % and 38.7 % ; odds ratio , 0.83 ; 95 % CI , 0.62 to 1.11 ; P=0.21 ) . Conclusions In children who presented to the emergency department with gastroenteritis , twice‐daily administration of a combined L. rhamnosus – L. helveticus probiotic did not prevent the development of moderate‐to‐severe gastroenteritis within 14 days after enrollment . ( Funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and others ; PROGUT Clinical Trials.gov number , NCT01853124 . Objective To compare the efficacy of five probiotic preparations recommended to parents in the treatment of acute diarrhoea in children . Design R and omised controlled clinical trial in collaboration with family paediatricians over 12 months . Setting Primary care . Participants Children aged 3 - 36 months visiting a family paediatrician for acute diarrhoea . Intervention Children 's parents were r and omly assigned to receive written instructions to purchase a specific probiotic product : oral rehydration solution ( control group ) ; Lactobacillus rhamnosus strain GG ; Saccharomyces boulardii ; Bacillus clausii ; mix of L delbrueckii var bulgaricus , Streptococcus thermophilus , L acidophilus , and Bifidobacterium bifidum ; or Enterococcus faecium SF68 . Main outcome measures Primary outcomes were duration of diarrhoea and daily number and consistency of stools . Secondary outcomes were duration of vomiting and fever and rate of admission to hospital . Safety and tolerance were also recorded . Results 571 children were allocated to intervention .  Median duration of diarrhoea was significantly shorter ( P<0.001 ) in children who received L rhamnosus strain GG ( 78.5 hours ) and the mix of four bacterial strains ( 70.0 hours ) than in children who received oral rehydration solution alone ( 115.0 hours ) . One day after the first probiotic administration , the daily number of stools was significantly lower ( P<0.001 ) in children who received L rhamnosus strain GG and in those who received the probiotic mix than in the other groups . The remaining preparations did not affect primary outcomes . Secondary outcomes were similar in all groups . Conclusions Not all commercially available probiotic preparations are effective in children with acute diarrhoea . Paediatricians should choose bacterial preparations based on effectiveness data . Trial registration number Current Controlled Trials IS RCT N56067537 Background . Previous studies have shown that selected strains of lactobacilli that are administered orally result in a modest reduction of diarrhea duration . However , duration alone is not considered optimal for therapeutic evaluation of any agent in diarrhea . Objective . To examine the effect of a new probiotic , Lactobacillus paracasei strain ST11 ( ST11 ) , in acute childhood diarrhea by using evaluation criteria recommended by the World Health Organization . Methods . In a r and omized , double-blind , placebo-controlled clinical trial , 230 male infants and young children , 4 to 24 months of age , presenting with diarrhea of < 2 days ' duration were admitted to the metabolic research ward of the International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research , Bangladesh , and fed 1010 colony-forming units of lyophilized ST11 or placebo daily for 5 days . Stool output and frequency , oral rehydration solution intake , and excretion of rotavirus were monitored daily . Results . No effect of ST11 treatment on severe rotavirus diarrhea was observed . However , the probiotic treatment did significantly reduce cumulative stool output ( 225 ± 218 vs 381 ± 240 mL/kg ) , stool frequency ( 27.9 ± 17 vs 42.5 ± 26 ) , and oral rehydration solution intake ( 180 ± 207 vs 331 ± 236 mL/kg ) in children with less-severe nonrotavirus diarrhea compared with those receiving placebo treatment . A significantly higher proportion of nonrotavirus children receiving ST11 had their diarrhea resolve within 6 days of therapy ( ST11 versus placebo : 76 % vs 49 % ) . Conclusions . ST11 has a clinical ly significant benefit in the management of children with nonrotavirus-induced diarrhea , but it is ineffective in those with rotavirus diarrhea BACKGROUND Probiotics have a possible role in the treatment of pediatric acute gastroenteritis . We report the effect of the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG ( LGG ) on intestinal function , immune response , and clinical outcomes in Indian children with cryptosporidial or rotavirus diarrhea . METHODS Children with gastroenteritis aged 6 months to 5 years , testing positive for either rotavirus or Cryptosporidium species in stool ( coinfections were excluded ) , were r and omized to LGG ( ATCC 53103 ) or placebo , once daily for 4 weeks . Baseline demographic and clinical details were obtained . Sera were tested for immunoglobulin G ( IgG ) and immunoglobulin A ( IgA ) antibodies to Cryptosporidium and rotavirus , and the lactulose to mannitol ratio for intestinal permeability was determined at baseline and at the end of follow-up . RESULTS Of the 124 children enrolled , 82 and 42 had rotavirus and cryptosporidial diarrhea , respectively . Median diarrheal duration was 4 days ; one-third of the children had severe diarrhea . Baseline and clinical parameters were comparable between children receiving LGG and placebo . At the end of follow-up , fewer children with rotavirus diarrhea on LGG had repeated diarrheal episodes ( 25 % vs 46 % ; P = .048 ) and impaired intestinal function ( 48 % vs 72 % ; P = .027 ) . Significant increase in IgG levels postintervention ( 456 vs 2215 EU ; P = .003 ) was observed in children with rotavirus diarrhea receiving LGG . Among children with cryptosporidial diarrhea , those receiving LGG showed significant improvement in intestinal permeability . CONCLUSIONS LGG has a positive immunomodulatory effect and may be useful in decreasing repeated episodes of rotavirus diarrhea . Improvement in intestinal function in children with rotavirus and cryptosporidial gastroenteritis emphasizes the role of probiotics in treating intestinal impairment after infection . CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION CTRI/2010/091/000339 Probiotics have been proposed for the management and prevention of  acute diarrhoea in infants . A double-blind , r and omised , placebo controlled study was carried out in 224 Chinese infants 6 to 36 months of age with severe acute diarrhoea and free from moderate or severe malnutrition . After oral or parenteral rehydration , they were allocated to one of three groups : a lactose-free formula ( Control ) ; the same formula but with viable 10(8)CFU B. lactis Bb12 and 5x10(7)CFU St. thermophilus TH4 per gram of powder and , the same formula with the same microorganisms , but with 10(9)CFU/g and 5x10(8)CFU , respectively . Anthropometric parameters , duration of the diarrhoea and rotavirus shedding were evaluated . Eighty seven percent of the episodes were associated with rotavirus infection . The duration of the diarrhoea was not influenced by the intake of probiotics . However , a decrease of rotavirus shedding was observed in infants fed the formula with 10(9 ) Bb12/g , a finding of probable epidemiological importance in the transmission of this agent Lactobacilli in the intestines play an important role in developing natural defenses against both intestinal bacterial and viral infections . So a prospect i ve clinical study was carried out at Cathay General Hospital to determine the effect of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium infantis on the course of acute diarrhea in hospitalized children . Altogether 100 children between 6 and 60 months of age were collected and r and omly allocated into 2 groups . Study group ( n = 50 ) was given Infloran Berna , which contains 10(9 ) viable Lactobacillus acidophilus and 10(9 ) Bifidobacterium infantis , one capsule tid for 4 days and control group ( n = 50 ) received parenteral rehydration only without any medication . Only 20 stool cultures in study group had positive culture results for Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium . All children were evaluated for the degree of dehydration before rehydration . The clinical course of diarrhea was followed during the treatment period . Features on admission were similar between the study group and control group in age , duration of diarrhea at home , serum sodium & potassium and dehydration degree . The duration of diarrhea was defined as the time until the last appearance of watery stool . There was no difference between the study group and control group in the frequency of diarrhea stools on the day before admission ( p > 0.05 ) . However , the frequency of diarrhea for study group improved on the first and second day of hospitalization with statistical difference ( p < 0.01 ) . The duration of diarrhea during hospitalization in study group also decreased ( 3.1 vs. 3.6 days , p < 0.01 ) . Oral bacterial therapy is an effective adjuvant therapy in rotavirus positive and negative children with diarrhea and can safely be administered during an episode of acute diarrhea Objectives : Supplementation of probiotics and supplementation of zinc during acute gastroenteritis in children have been shown to exert positive effects on diarrhea duration and severity . Our aim was to evaluate a new diet enriched with zinc and probiotic bacteria in the treatment of acute gastroenteritis in young children . Methods : In a double blind prospect i ve study , 65 children aged 6–12 months were r and omized to receive 6 × 109 colony forming units of Streptococcus thermophilus , Bifidobacterium lactis , Lactobacillus acidophilus ( 2 × 109 of each strain ) , 10 mg of zinc/day , and 0.3 grams of fructo-oligosaccharides in the supplemented group ( n = 33 ) or placebo ( n = 32 ) , given in a soy protein based rice cereal . For each child , age , sex , weight , degree of dehydration , the presence of fever or vomiting , stool frequency and consistency were recorded daily until diarrhea resolution . Results : Diarrhea resolution occurred after 1.43 ± 0.71 days in the supplemented group vs. 1.96 ± 1.24 in the control group ( p = 0.017 ) . In the subset of children who presented with vomiting , time to vomiting resolution was 0.27 ± 0.59 vs. 0.81 ± 0.91 days in the supplemented and control groups , respectively ( p = 0.06 ) . On day 3 , there was only 1 child with watery stools in the supplemented group versus 10 children in the control group ( p = 0.02 ) . Conclusions : In our series , the feeding of a cereal containing Streptococcus thermophilus , Bifidobacterium lactis , Lactobacillus acidophilus and zinc , reduced the severity and duration of acute gastroenteritis in young children . However , whether this combination is better than either the addition of probiotics or zinc alone is yet to be determined BACKGROUND In previous studies , nitazoxanide has demonstrated a cytoprotective effect against rotavirus , reducing the duration of diarrhea in comparison to placebo . We design ed a r and omized , single-blind , controlled trial in order to assess the effectiveness of nitazoxanide and probiotics in comparison with a control group . METHODS Seventy-five children aged from 28 days to 24 months , with rotavirus diarrhea , were r and omly assigned to receive either oral nitazoxanide ( 15 mg/kg/day ) twice a day for three days , a combination of oral probiotics , 1 g twice a day for five days , or only oral or systemic rehydration solutions . The duration of diarrhea and of hospitalization were the primary outcome measures , and daily stool frequency , vomiting , and fever were some of the secondary outcome measures analyzed . RESULTS The median duration of hospitalization was significantly shorter ( p = 0.017 ) in patients who received nitazoxanide ( 81 h ) and probiotics ( 72 h ) compared to patients who received oral rehydration solution alone ( 108 h ) . Similarly , the median duration of diarrhea was significantly reduced ( p = 0.009 ) in children who received nitazoxanide ( 54 h ) and probiotics ( 48 h ) compared to the control group ( 79 h ) . CONCLUSIONS Treatment with nitazoxanide and probiotics is effective in the management of children with acute rotavirus diarrhea . Small differences in favor of nitazoxanide were found in comparison with probiotics . Nitazoxanide is an important treatment option for rotavirus diarrhea Background Recent studies have shown that probiotics , most commonly Lactobacillus GG , may be useful in treating acute gastroenteritis . However , beneficial effects appear to be limited to a modest decrease in the duration of diarrhea . No studies have evaluated this therapy in moderate to severe dehydrating diarrhea in a metabolic facility . Methods Male children less than 2 years of age were admitted to a metabolic unit of the Department of Pediatrics at the Federal University of Bahia , Brazil , with moderate dehydration and were r and omized in a double-blind , placebo-controlled fashion . Oral rehydration solution ( ORS ) was administered per protocol and either placebo or Lactobacillus GG was given in combination with the ORS .  Output of urine , stool , and vomitus was recorded along with stool weight , nude body weight , and st and ard laboratory assessment s for hydration . Results There was no significant reduction in diarrhea duration and stool output in the Lactobacillus GG group . However , Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated that , even in moderate to severe diarrhea , resolution of the illness occurred so rapidly , that statistically significant benefits of probiotic therapy could not be demonstrated . Conclusion Our data implies that colonization must occur before benefits of probiotics can be realized . Probiotics are , therefore , likely to be of limited benefit in treating diarrheal illnesses of short duration such as viral enteritis . The beneficial effects of probiotics may be limited to prophylactic usage in high-risk population Objective : The effectiveness of probiotic therapy for acute rotavirus infectious diarrhoea in an indigenous setting with bacterial/parasitic diarrhoea is unclear . In the present study , we assessed the efficacy of probiotics in Australian Aboriginal children in the Northern Territory admitted to hospital with diarrhoeal disease . Patients and Methods : A r and omised double-blind placebo-controlled study was conducted in Aboriginal children ( ages 4 months–2 years ) , admitted to hospital with acute diarrhoeal disease ( > 3 loose stools per day ) . Children received either oral Lactobacillus GG ( 5 × 109 colony-forming units 3 times per day for 3 days ; n = 33 ) or placebo ( n = 31 ) . Small intestinal functional capacity was assessed by the noninvasive 13C-sucrose breath test on days 1 and 4 . Results : Both groups showed mean improvement in the sucrose breath test after 4 days ; however , there was no difference ( mean , 95 % confidence interval ) between probiotic ( 2.9 [ cumulative percentage of dose recovered at 90 minutes ] ; 1.7–4.2 ) and placebo ( 3.7 ; 2.3–5.2 ) groups . Probiotics did not change the duration of diarrhoea , total diarrhoea stools , or diarrhoea score compared with placebo . There was a significant ( P < 0.05 ) difference in diarrhoea frequency on day 2 between probiotics ( 3.3 [ loose stools ] ; 2.5–4.3 ) and placebo ( 4.7 ; 3.8–5.7 ) groups . Conclusions : Lactobacillus GG did not appear to enhance short-term recovery following acute diarrhoeal illness in this setting We conducted a double-blind r and omized placebo-controlled study to evaluate efficacy and tolerability of VSL♯3 ( CD Pharma India ) in the treatment of acute rotavirus diarrhea in children . The patients were r and omly assigned to receive 4 days of oral treatment with VSL♯3 probiotic mixture or placebo in addition to usual care for diarrhea . Results : Out of 230 rotavirus-positive acute diarrhea children , 224 children completed the study , ( 113 in the drug group and 111 in the placebo group ) . At recruitment on Day 1 , there were no significant differences between the 2 groups in terms of frequency of vomiting , mean loose stool frequency , stool consistency , and mean frequency of oral rehydration salts ( ORS ) and intravenous fluids administered . On Day 2 , a lower mean stool frequency and improved stool consistency was noted in the drug group , which achieved statistical significance . This was also reflected in the lower volume of ORS administration in the drug group . Even on Day 3 , mean loose stool frequency and frequency of ORS use and frequency of intravenous fluid use was significantly lower in the drug group . The differences in the frequency of loose stools persisted till 8 hours of Day 4 . After this , as the placebo group also showed spontaneous improvement the difference between the 2 groups in terms of the overall stools frequency became comparable . However , the overall ORS requirement continued to be significantly lower in the drug group even on Day 4 . The overall recovery rates were significantly better in the drug group compared with placebo . No side effects were noted with the use of the probiotic mixture . Use of probiotic mixture VSL♯3 in acute rotavirus diarrhea result ed in earlier recovery and reduced frequency of ORS administration reflecting decreased stool volume losses during diarrhea BACKGROUND Oral administration of live Lactobacillus casei strain GG is associated with the reduction of duration of diarrhea in children admitted to the hospital because of diarrhea . The purpose s of this work were to investigate the clinical efficacy of oral administration of Lactobacillus in children with mild diarrhea who were observed as out patients , and to see whether Lactobacillus GG can reduce the duration of rotavirus excretion . METHODS Duration of diarrhea was recorded in 100 children seen by family pediatricians and r and omly assigned to receive oral rehydration or oral rehydration followed by the administration of lyophilized Lactobacillus casei , strain GG .  Rotavirus was looked for in the stools of all children and in those in whom results were positive , stools were examined again 6 days after the onset of diarrhea . RESULTS In 61 children results were positive for rotavirus and in 39 results were negative . Duration of diarrhea was reduced from 6 to 3 days in children receiving Lactobacillus GG , with a similar pattern in rotavirus-positive and -negative children . Six days after the onset of diarrhea , stools in only 4 out of 31 children that received Lactobacillus GG were positive for rotavirus compared with positive findings in 25 out of 30 control subjects . CONCLUSIONS Oral administration of Lactobacillus GG is effective in rotavirus-positive and rotavirus-negative ambulatory children with diarrhea . Furthermore , it reduces the duration of rotavirus excretion OBJECTIVE Preliminary evidence has been reported on the antirotavirus effect of human serum immunoglobulin administered orally . The aim was to see whether such treatment might be effective in rotavirus acute gastroenteritis . METHODS A prospect i ve , double-blind , placebo-controlled study was performed . Ninety-eight children admitted with acute gastroenteritis were enrolled and r and omly assigned to groups A ( treated ) and B ( control ) . Children in group A received a single oral dose of 300 mg/kg body weight of human serum immunoglobulin . Parameters of efficacy were clinical condition , frequency and consistency of stools , duration of diarrhea , duration of viral excretion , and length of hospital stay . Antirotaviral activity was determined in the immunoglobulin preparation by a specific neutralization assay . RESULTS Seventy-one of the 98 children enrolled had rotaviral gastroenteritis ; 36 belonged to group A. Children who received immunoglobulin had significantly faster clinical improvement of clinical condition and stool pattern than control children . Mean total duration of rotaviral diarrhea was 76 hours in group A and 131 in group B ( P < .01 ) . Viral excretion lasted 114 and 180 hours , respectively ( P < .01 ) . Hospital stay was significantly reduced in children in group A. Neutralizing antibodies against rotavirus were detected in the immunoglobulin preparation . CONCLUSION Oral administration of immunoglobulin is associated with a faster recovery from acute gastroenteritis and should be given to children hospitalized with this illness OBJECTIVE : Probiotic consumption effects on cold and influenza-like symptom incidence and duration were evaluated in healthy children during the winter season . METHODS : In this double-blind , placebo-controlled study , 326 eligible children ( 3–5 years of age ) were assigned r and omly to receive placebo ( N = 104 ) , Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM ( N = 110 ) , or L acidophilus NCFM in combination with Bifidobacterium animalis subsp lactis Bi-07 ( N = 112 ) . Children were treated twice daily for 6 months . RESULTS : Relative to the placebo group , single and combination probiotics  reduced fever incidence by 53.0 % ( P = .0085 ) and 72.7 % ( P = .0009 ) , coughing incidence by 41.4 % ( P = .027 ) and 62.1 % ( P = .005 ) , and rhinorrhea incidence by 28.2 % ( P = .68 ) and 58.8 % ( P = .03 ) , respectively . Fever , coughing , and rhinorrhea duration was decreased significantly , relative to placebo , by 32 % ( single strain ; P = .0023 ) and 48 % ( strain combination ; P < .001 ) . Antibiotic use incidence was reduced , relative to placebo , by 68.4 % ( single strain ; P = .0002 ) and 84.2 % ( strain combination ; P < .0001 ) . Subjects receiving probiotic products had significant reductions in days absent from group child care , by 31.8 % ( single strain ; P = .002 ) and 27.7 % ( strain combination ; P < .001 ) , compared with subjects receiving placebo treatment . CONCLUSION : Daily dietary probiotic supplementation for 6 months was a safe effective way to reduce fever , rhinorrhea , and cough incidence and duration and antibiotic prescription incidence , as well as the number of missed school days attributable to illness , for children 3 to 5 years of age
The pooled estimate of efficacy of lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and other probiotics significantly reduced the duration of diarrhea .
In conclusion , probiotics exert positive effect in reducing the duration of acute rotavirus diarrhea  compared with control
BACKGROUND Probiotic therapies with different strains demonstrated some beneficial effects , although some studies did not show any significant effects .
This study assessed systematic ally the current knowledge on the effect of probiotic bacteria on duration of  acute rotavirus diarrhea in children compared with control .