HOME-MADE MODULAR DIET VERSUS SEMIELEMENTAL FORMULA IN THE TREATMENT OF CHRONIC DIARRHEA OF INFANCY - A PROSPECTIVE RANDOMIZED TRIAL

Considerable success in the management of chronic diarrhoea has been r eported using a modular diet (MD), with gradual increments in every nu trient toward a full-strength formula. As the commercially pre pared c onstituents are unavailable in Croatia, we have developed a homemade M D based on boiled minced chicken meat, sunflower oil emulsion, sucrose and cornflour. A full range of vitamins and minerals are added. The v alue of this MD was compared to a semi-elemental formula (SF) Pregomin . Eighteen infants with severe chronic diarrhoea were randomly assigne d to receive either MD of SE Both groups were comparable with respect to sex, age, and degree of malnutrition. Duration of diarrhoea, feed t olerance, anthropometry, and biochemistry were compared after 4 weeks of treatment. Results: (1) diarrhoea was significantly shorter (3 vs 7 days; P < 0.01) and nutritional recovery started earlier (5 vs 9 days ; P < 0.01) in MD group; (2) median weight gain in the SF group was 10 0 g/week, compared to 171 g/week in MD group (P < 0.05); (3) in two pa tients from the SF group, diarrhoea persisted, but they achieved compl ete recovery when changed to MD. Conclusion A MD made in the hospital kitchen was superior to a SE formula in the treatment of chronic diarr hoea of infancy.