COMPARISON OF A RICE-BASED, MIXED DIET VERSUS A LACTOSE-FREE, SOY-PROTEIN ISOLATE FORMULA FOR YOUNG-CHILDREN WITH ACUTE DIARRHEA

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.