Background: In May 2014, the updated guidelines for the management of acute gastroenteritis (AGE)
were published. The use of yogurt in the nutritional management of AGE was not addressed, although it
is frequently used in many countries for this purpose. We aimed to systematically evaluate the efficacy of
yogurt consumption for the management of AGE in children.
Design: In this systematic review, a number of databases, including MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane
Library, with no language restrictions, were searched up to July 2014 for randomized controlled trials
(RCTs) evaluating the effect of yogurt consumption in children with AGE. The risk of bias was assessed
using the Cochrane risk of bias tool.
Results: Four RCTs (n ¼ 448) that were generally low in methodological quality, all performed in hospital
setting, were included. Compared with placebo/no intervention, yogurt consumption had no significant
effect on stool volume. The data on the effect of yogurt consumption on the duration of diarrhea and
stool frequency were not consistent. The chance of treatment success (or failure) was similar in both
groups. Compared with placebo, the duration of hospitalization was shorter in children who received
yogurt, but the difference was of a borderline significance. Total weight gain increased for those treated
with yogurt.
Conclusions: The consumption of yogurt had a positive effect on weight gain, but no consistent effect on
AGE outcomes in hospitalized children. Given the limited data and the methodological limitations of the
included trials, the evidence should be viewed with caution. The effect of yogurt consumption in the
ambulatory setting is unknown.
© 2014 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved