Saccharomyces boulardii in Acute Gastroenteritis in Children

Objective: To evaluate Saccharomyces boulardii in the management of gastroenteritis in children in Togo, Benin and Côte d’Ivoire. Methods: Prospective descriptive study, conducted by healthcare personnel in the 3 West African countries between May and December 2006. Well-nourished, (1 month -15 years old) children without chronic disease presenting with acute diarrhea (defined as more than 3 loose or liquid stools per 24-hour period, which started < 4 days before enrolment) were included. Stool frequency, consistency, and tolerance of treatment were evaluated at each visit. Results: 66 investigators recruited 331 patients. The patients were predominantly male; 81% were less than 3 years old (mean age 25.6 months). The mean duration of the diarrhea before enrolment was 1.6 days. The average number of stools returned to normal (2.43 stools per day) from day 2. S. boulardii was well tolerated in 93% of cases. The treatment was shown to be effective in close to 98% of the children. Conclusion: 81% of the children recruited were less than 3 years old. A daily dose of 500 mg S. boulardii was well tolerated, confirming the value of S. boulardii in diarrhea in children, in combination with oral rehydration therapy and early feeding.