I. Maulenradovan et al., COMPARISON OF A RICE-BASED, MIXED DIET VERSUS A LACTOSE-FREE, SOY-PROTEIN ISOLATE FORMULA FOR YOUNG-CHILDREN WITH ACUTE DIARRHEA, The Journal of pediatrics, 125(5), 1994, pp. 699-706
A randomized clinical trial was completed to compare the efficacy of a
mixed diet composed of locally available foods versus a lactase-free,
soy-based formula for the management of young Mexican children with a
cute diarrhea and dehydration. A total of 87 patients between 5 and 36
months of age received either a blended mixed diet containing rice, c
hicken, carrots, beans, and vegetable oil (group MD) or a say formula
(group SF) immediately after standard oral rehydration therapy. The in
itial clinical characteristics of the patients in each group were simi
lar, as were their stool outputs during the first 6-hour period of reh
ydration before the diets were offered. There were six treatment failu
res, all of which were in group SF (p <0.01). The stool outputs of chi
ldren in group MD and in group SF were 82 +/- 55 versus 112 +/- 88 gm/
kg per day, respectively, on day 1 (p = 0.037), and 48 +/- 33 versus 6
6 +/- 55 gm/kg per day on day 2 (p = 0.109). The duration of diarrhea
among those in group MD was significantly reduced compared with those
in group SF (29 vs 67 hours; p <0.001). We conclude that the mixed die
t resulted in improved clinical outcomes compared with the lactose-fre
e, soy protein isolate formula.