Abstract

RULE OF PREBIOTICS CONTAINING INFANT FORMULA IN TREATMEANT OF ACUTE DIARRHEA

Dr. Ibrahim Khaleel Ibrahim*, Dr. Ali Khalaf Ali Alabbasi and Dr. Adnan Saleh Abdullah

ABSTRACT

Background: Acute diarrhea is one of the most important causes of morbidity and mortality in infancy and early childhood. Prebiotics are nondigestible food components that stimulate the growth of bifidobacteria. This study was done on a cases of acute diarrhea attending the primary health centre in Al-Dour city from 20th of June to 30th of December 2012. Aim of study: The study aims at evaluating the rule of prebiotics containing infant formula in treatment of acute diarrhea. Method: A randomized, interventional, study was carried out in 100 infants 3-12 months of age with acute diarrhea, distributed into two groups. Group 1 received prebiotics or a control without prebiotics (kept on thier traditional formula). Then follow up of all patients until diarrhea stopped. Follow up includes; improvement in fever, stool frequency consistency and duration of diarrhea. Results: The prebiotic significantly decreased duration of diarrhea to 2.7(±1.9) days compared with the controls 3.4(±1.4) days P value = (0.04). In regard to fever improvement; there was no significant difference after 24 hours but significant noticed in days 2and 3 for prebiotis versus controls. The temperature results respectively were 37.9(±0.7), 37.4(±0.7), 37.04(±0.2) for prebiotics, and for controls 37.8(±0.7), 37.4(±0.7) and 37.1(±0.3). There was also a significant improvement in stool frequency and consistency among infants received prebiotics in comparism with controls. The total incidence of nosocomial rotavirus infections was 16% (16 of 100 patients). The attack rate of rotavirus infections among the patients who received prebiotic was 14% (7 of 50 patients), while for the control group it was 18% (9 of 100 patients). The difference is not significant. No apparent complications were detected during the prebiotic administration. Conclusion: Prebiotics administration can be recommended as a valid measure for decreasing the duration of diarrhea in infancy.

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