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Bugs and Guts
Author(s) -
Barnes Danielle,
Yeh Ann Ming
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
nutrition in clinical practice
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.725
H-Index - 71
eISSN - 1941-2452
pISSN - 0884-5336
DOI - 10.1177/0884533615610081
Subject(s) - medicine , irritable bowel syndrome , saccharomyces boulardii , lactobacillus rhamnosus , diarrhea , inflammatory bowel disease , rifaximin , abdominal pain , probiotic , antibiotic associated diarrhea , pouchitis , enterocolitis , ulcerative colitis , antibiotics , gastroenterology , clostridium difficile , disease , intensive care medicine , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , bacteria , genetics
Probiotics are foods or products that contain live microorganisms that benefit the host when administered. In this clinical review, we evaluate the literature associated with using probiotics in common pediatric gastrointestinal disorders, focusing specifically on antibiotic‐associated diarrhea, acute gastroenteritis, Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), colic, inflammatory bowel disease, and functional gastrointestinal diseases. Meta‐analysis of several randomized controlled trials have confirmed benefit for the administration of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Saccharomyces boulardii to prevent antibiotic‐associated diarrhea and to treat acute infectious diarrhea. Individual studies have also suggested benefit of probiotics to prevent acute gastroenteritis and serve as an adjunct in ulcerative colitis, pouchitis, antibiotic‐associated diarrhea, CDI, functional abdominal pain, irritable bowel syndrome, and colic in breastfed babies. Although promising, larger well‐designed studies need to confirm these findings. There is currently insufficient evidence to recommend probiotics for the treatment of constipation‐predominant irritable bowel syndrome or Crohn's disease.