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Probiotic-rich Kefir Ineffective In Preventing Diarrhea in Children
While the study results, published in the August issue of Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, are negative, investigators say there are intriguing hints that the drink, which is rich in probiotics – live bacteria - appeared to help the children in the study who were the least healthy.
"We were initially interested in this study because many physicians are already recommending yogurts, kefirs, and probiotics supplements to prevent diarrhea associated with use of antibiotics," says the study's lead author, Daniel J. Merenstein, MD, director of research in the Department of Family Medicine at GUMC.
A number of studies have shown that probiotics can help prevent and treat diarrhea, even in people using antibiotics but this has often been shown in very different settings than is typical in the United States, Merenstein says. Children are especially susceptible to this problem, he says - about 20-30 percent of kids using antibiotics will develop diarrhea from the antibiotic, and this often results in them stopping the antibiotic or additional doctor visits.
Many of these previous studies, however, were not "double-blinded" – that is, compared with a placebo drink that resembled kefir."This study didn't prove the benefit of kefir in these children– not all probiotics work the same - but the results also suggest that kefir may work best in younger, sicker children," Merenstein says. "More studies with this particular group of children are warranted."
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 | Quiz on Diarrhea Diarrhea is the second leading cause of death among children below 5 years of age.Test your knowledge on this potentially fatal but easily preventable and treatable condition by taking this quiz. 
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