Randomized clinical trial of soy formula with and without added fiber in antibiotic-induced diarrhea

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the effects of soy fo rmulas with and without added soy fiber in children who developed diarrhea while receiving antibiotics. Design: In a masked, randomized parallel study, older infants and toddlers were fed commercial soy formulas with or without added soy fiber for 10 day s on occurrence of diarrhea during the administration of antibiotics. Subje cts were stratified by feeding (formula versus cow's milk). The primary var iables were duration of diarrhea, stool characteristics, and intake. Second ary variables were weight and spit-up. Results: All 45 children who completed the 10-day study received > 30% of t heir caloric intake from formula. Fiber intake from other foods did not dif fer between groups and averaged 0.5 g/day. Total median fiber intake of the group fed the formula with added fiber was 6.53 g/day. The mean duration o f diarrhea was 25.1 +/- 5.2 hours for children fed the formula with added f iber and 51.6 +/- 10.7 hours for those fed the regular formula (P = .0013). Conclusion: The duration of antibiotic-induced diarrhea in children fed the soy formula with added soy fiber was significantly reduced.