Brief Article
Copyright ©2011 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Sep 14, 2011; 17(34): 3916-3921
Published online Sep 14, 2011. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v17.i34.3916
Pediatric functional constipation treatment with Bifidobacterium-containing yogurt: A crossover, double-blind, controlled trial
Paula VP Guerra, Luiza N Lima, Tassia C Souza, Vanessa Mazochi, Francisco J Penna, Andreia M Silva, Jacques R Nicoli, Elizabet V Guimarães
Paula VP Guerra, Luiza N Lima, Francisco J Penna, Elizabet V Guimarães, Departamento de Pediatria, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 30130-100 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
Tassia C Souza, Jacques R Nicoli, Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 32270-901 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
Vanessa Mazochi, Andreia M Silva, Universidade Federal de São João del Rei, Campus de Sete Lagoas, 35701-970 São João del Rey, MG, Brazil
Author contributions: Guerra PVP, Lima LN, Souza TC, Mazochi V and Silva AM designed and performed the research; Penna FJ, Nicoli JR and Guimarães EV designed the research, analyzed the data and wrote the paper.
Supported by Grants from Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnológico and Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais
Correspondence to: Jacques R Nicoli, PhD, Full Professor, Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 32270-901 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil. jnicoli@icb.ufmg.br
Telephone: +55-31-34092757 Fax: +55-31-34092730
Received: February 11, 2011
Revised: March 29, 2011
Accepted: April 5, 2011
Published online: September 14, 2011
Abstract

AIM: To evaluate the treatment of pediatric functional chronic intestinal constipation (FCIC) with a probiotic goat yogurt.

METHODS: A crossover double-blind formula-controlled trial was carried out on 59 students (age range: 5-15 years) of a public school in Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil, presenting a FCIC diagnostic, according to Roma III criteria. The students were randomized in two groups to receive a goat yogurt supplemented with 109 colony forming unit/mL Bifidobacterium longum (B. longum) (probiotic) daily or only the yogurt for a period of 5 wk (formula). Afterwards, the groups were intercrossed for another 5 wk. Defecation frequency, stool consistency and abdominal and defecation pain were assessed.

RESULTS: Both treatment groups demonstrated improvement in defecation frequency compared to baseline. However, the group treated with probiotic showed most significant improvement in the first phase of the study. An inversion was observed after crossing over, resulting in a reduction in stool frequency when this group was treated by formula. Probiotic and formula improved stool consistency in the first phase of treatment, but the improvement obtained with probiotic was significantly higher (P = 0.03). In the second phase of treatment, the group initially treated with probiotic showed worseningstool consistency when using formula. However, the difference was not significant. A significant improvement in abdominal pain and defecation pain was observed with both probiotic and formula in the first phase of treatment, but again the improvement was more significant for the group treated with B. longum during phase I (P < 0.05). When all data of the crossover study were analyzed, significant differences were observed between probiotic yogurt and yogurt only for defecation frequency (P = 0.012), defecation pain (P = 0.046) and abdominal pain (P = 0.015).

CONCLUSION: An improvement in defecation frequency and abdominal pain was observed using both supplemented and non-supplemented yogurt, but an additional improvement with B. longum supplementation was obtained.

Keywords: Functional chronic constipation, Probiotic, Bifidobacterium longum, Yogurt, Adolescents, Children