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A randomized double‐blind placebo‐controlled trial of Lactobacillus GG for abdominal pain disorders in children
Author(s) -
GAWROŃSKA A.,
DZIECHCIARZ P.,
HORVATH A.,
SZAJEWSKA H.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
alimentary pharmacology and therapeutics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.308
H-Index - 177
eISSN - 1365-2036
pISSN - 0269-2813
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2036.2006.03175.x
Subject(s) - medicine , placebo , lactobacillus rhamnosus , irritable bowel syndrome , abdominal pain , number needed to treat , randomized controlled trial , confidence interval , population , placebo controlled study , gastroenterology , relative risk , double blind , lactobacillus , alternative medicine , environmental health , pathology , biology , bacteria , genetics
Summary Background Functional abdominal pain disorders (FAPD) are common in school‐aged children; however, there is no reliable treatment. Aim To determine the efficacy of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) for treating FAPD in children. Methods A total of 104 children who fulfilled the Rome II criteria for functional dyspepsia (FD), or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), or functional abdominal pain (FAP) were enrolled in a double‐blind, randomized controlled trial in which they received LGG ( n = 52), or placebo ( n = 52) for 4 weeks. Results For the overall study population, those in the LGG group were more likely to have treatment success (no pain) than those in the placebo group (25% vs. 9.6%, relative benefit (RB) 2.6, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.05–6.6, number needed to treat (NNT) 7, 95% CI: 4–123). For children with IBS ( n = 37), those in the LGG group were more likely to have treatment success than those in the placebo group (33% vs. 5%, RB 6.3, 95% CI: 1.2–38, NNT 4, 95% CI: 2–36) and reduced frequency of pain ( P = 0.02), but not pain severity ( P = 0.10). For the FD group ( n = 20) and FAP group ( n = 47), no differences were found. Conclusion The LGG appears to moderately increase treatment success, particularly among children with IBS.