ProGut Study Results
Impact of Emergency Department Probiotic Treatment of Pediatric Gastroenteritis: Randomized Controlled Trial
Study Results
Probiotics are natural health products that are available for purchase over the counter. They are increasingly recommended by health care providers however there is limited evidence to support their use for the treatment of gastroenteritis.
We enrolled 886 children across Canada and determined that, in children who presented to an Emergency Department with gastroenteritis causing diarrhea and vomiting, taking a two-strain probiotic (Lactobacillus rhamnosus R0011 and L. helveticus R0052) twice a day for 5 days did not stop their gastroenteritis symptoms from getting worse.
Principal Study Investigator: Dr. Stephen Freedman
Project Lead: Sarah Williamson-Urquhart
Research Ethics Board ID Number: REB13-0045