The results of a new pair of studies from investigators in the United States and Canada have debunked a previously accepted idea that probiotic supplements are helpful to children with gastroenteritis.
Gastroenteritis leads to 1.7 million pediatric emergency room visits and more than 70,000 hospitalizations in the United States each year. Treatment for these infections typically includes replacing lost fluids and electrolytes; however, previous research has indicated that treatment for healthy infants and children can include supplementation with probiotics, to reduce the severity and duration of symptoms by restoring normal bacterial microflora in the gastrointestinal tract.
Now, investigators on the pair of studies, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that probiotic supplements were ineffective at reducing diarrhea and vomiting in children with gastroenteritis.
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