Only Lactobacillus GG showed a consistent effect .
There is evidence of a clinical ly significant benefit of probiotics in the treatment of  acute infectious diarrhea in infants and children , particularly in rotaviral gastroenteritis .
Lactobacillus GG showed the most consistent effect , although other probiotic strains may also be effective .
Clinical and statistical heterogeneity of the prophylactic interventions preclude drawing firm conclusions about the efficacy of probiotics in preventing acute gastroenteritis
BACKGROUND This review was design ed to assess the evidence from r and omized controlled trials on effects of probiotics in the treatment and prevention of acute infectious diarrhea in infants and children .
Feeding of Bifidobacterium bifidum and Streptococcus thermophilus to infants in hospital for prevention of diarrhoea and shedding of rotavirus
Acute diarrhoea is a serious cause of infant morbidity and mortality , and the development of preventive measures remains an important goal . Bifidobacteria ( which constitute the predominant intestinal flora of breastfed infants ) , as well as other lactic-acid-producing organisms such as Streptococcus thermophilus , are thought to have a protective effect against acute diarrhoeal disease . However , their efficacy has not been assessed in controlled trials . In a double-blind , placebo-controlled trial , infants aged 5 - 24 months who were admitted to a chronic medical care hospital were r and omised to receive a st and ard infant formula or the same formula supplemented with Bifidobacterium bifidum and S thermophilus . Patients were evaluated daily for occurrence of diarrhoea , and faecal sample s , obtained weekly , were analysed for rotavirus antigen by enzyme immunoassay . Faecal sample s were also obtained during an episode of diarrhoea for virological and bacteriological analyses . 55 subjects were evaluated for a total of 4447 patient-days during 17 months . 8 ( 31 % ) of the 26 patients who received the control formula and 2 ( 7 % ) of 29 who received the supplemented formula developed diarrhoea during the course of the study ( p = 0.035 , Fisher 's exact test , two-tailed ) . 10 ( 39 % ) of the subjects who received the control formula and 3 ( 10 % ) of those who received the supplemented formula  shed rotavirus at some time during the study ( p = 0.025 ) . The supplementation of infant formula with B bifidum and S thermophilus can reduce the incidence of acute diarrhoea and rotavirus shedding in infants admitted to hospital
Only Lactobacillus GG showed a consistent effect .
There is evidence of a clinical ly significant benefit of probiotics in the treatment of  acute infectious diarrhea in infants and children , particularly in rotaviral gastroenteritis .
Lactobacillus GG showed the most consistent effect , although other probiotic strains may also be effective .
Clinical and statistical heterogeneity of the prophylactic interventions preclude drawing firm conclusions about the efficacy of probiotics in preventing acute gastroenteritis
BACKGROUND This review was design ed to assess the evidence from r and omized controlled trials on effects of probiotics in the treatment and prevention of acute infectious diarrhea in infants and children .