Saccharomyces Boulardii for Kids' Diarrhea: Does it Work?

observational-study PMID: 36086703

Quick Summary: A recent study found that a specific probiotic, Saccharomyces boulardii, helped kids with diarrhea get better faster than another common probiotic. This means it could be a good option to help your child recover from a tummy bug.

What The Research Found

This research compared two probiotics for treating diarrhea in children. The study showed that Saccharomyces boulardii helped kids get over diarrhea about 13 hours faster than another probiotic called Bacillus clausii. Both probiotics were safe and helped with other symptoms, but Saccharomyces boulardii was slightly better at shortening the duration of diarrhea.

Study Details

Who was studied: 317 children between 6 months and 5 years old with mild to moderate diarrhea.

How long: The children took the probiotics for 5 days and were followed for a total of 12 days.

What they took:

Some children took Saccharomyces boulardii (250 mg daily).
Others took a mix of Bacillus clausii probiotics.

What This Means For You

Faster Recovery: If your child has diarrhea, Saccharomyces boulardii might help them feel better quicker.

Safe Option: Both probiotics in the study were safe, so you don't need to worry about serious side effects.

Talk to Your Doctor: Always talk to your pediatrician before giving your child any new supplements or medications, including probiotics. They can help you decide if Saccharomyces boulardii is right for your child.

Study Limitations

Specific Group: The study only looked at children with mild to moderate diarrhea, so it might not apply to all cases.

Location: The study was done in Argentina, so the results might be slightly different in other parts of the world.

Short-Term: The study only followed the children for a short time, so we don't know the long-term effects.

Key Findings

The study found that Saccharomyces boulardii CNCM I-745 significantly reduced the mean duration of diarrhea in children (64.6 hours) compared to a 4-strain Bacillus clausii mixture (78.0 hours) (p = 0.04). Both probiotics improved secondary outcomes like stool frequency and severity, but no statistically significant differences were observed between groups. Safety profiles were comparable, with no adverse events reported for either intervention.

Study Design

This was a randomized, double-blind, parallel-group clinical trial conducted across 8 centers in Argentina. Participants included 317 children aged 6 months to 5 years with mild-moderate acute diarrhea. The study duration comprised 5 days of treatment followed by a 7-day follow-up period. Stool samples were collected at baseline for pathogen identification.

Dosage & Administration

Saccharomyces boulardii CNCM I-745: 250 mg/day administered orally.
Bacillus clausii mixture (4 strains: O/C, SIN, N/R, T): 2 × 10⁹ CFU/day orally.
Both treatments were given for 5 consecutive days, with outcomes measured until Day 12.

Results & Efficacy

Primary outcome: S. boulardii reduced diarrhea duration by 13.4 hours vs. B. clausii (64.6 vs. 78.0 hours; 95% CI: 56.5–72.8 vs. 69.9–86.1; p = 0.04).
Secondary outcomes:
No significant difference in stool frequency/day or diarrhea severity.
Day 6 diarrhea resolution: 76.7% (S. boulardii) vs. 69.6% (B. clausii) (p = 0.15).
Time-to-first formed stool: 48.5 vs. 52.3 hours (p = 0.35).
Recurrence rates: Similar between groups (not specified numerically).
Both probiotics were well-tolerated, with no safety concerns.

Limitations

Population specificity: Results apply only to children with mild-moderate diarrhea; severe cases or other age groups were not studied.
Pathogen variability: Baseline stool analysis identified pathogens, but efficacy across specific etiologies (e.g., viral vs. bacterial) was not reported.
Short follow-up: Outcomes assessed only up to Day 12, limiting insight into long-term effects.
Blinding methodology: Details on how blinding was maintained were not provided.
Geographic scope: Conducted in Argentina, potentially limiting generalizability to other regions.

Clinical Relevance

For parents and clinicians managing pediatric acute gastroenteritis, this study suggests S. boulardii CNCM I-745 may be more effective than a multi-strain B. clausii formulation in shortening diarrhea duration. The 250 mg/day dose for 5 days could be a practical intervention for children aged 6 months to 5 years. However, both probiotics showed similar safety and improvements in secondary metrics, indicating B. clausii remains a viable option if S. boulardii is unavailable. Further research is needed to evaluate efficacy across diverse populations, severe diarrhea, and long-term outcomes.

Source: PubMed (2022)