Volume 32, Issue 2 (Avicenna Journal of Clinical Medicine-Summer 2025)                   Avicenna J Clin Med 2025, 32(2): 95-101 | Back to browse issues page


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Kalvandi G, Malekshahi A, Dara N, Shiehmorteza M, Andarzbakhsh K, Kalvandi H. The Efficacy of Lactobacillus reuteri Probiotic in the Treatment of Functional Abdominal Pain in Children Aged 5 to 15 Years. Avicenna J Clin Med 2025; 32 (2) :95-101
URL: http://sjh.umsha.ac.ir/article-1-3245-en.html
1- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
2- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Islamic Azad University, Tehran Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran , ahmadreza77mk@gmail.com
3- Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition Research Center, Research Institute for Children's Health, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
4- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Science Branche, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
5- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Islamic Azad University, Tehran Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
6- Faculty of Medicine, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
Abstract:   (134 Views)
Background and Objective: Functional abdominal pain disorders are pediatric gastrointestinal diseases characterized by chronic or recurrent abdominal pain without anatomical and/or biochemical abnormalities. The aim of the present study was to investigate the efficacy of the probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri versus placebo in the treatment of functional abdominal pain in children.
Materials and Methods: This randomized clinical trial study was conducted on 180 children aged 5 to 15 years with functional abdominal pain based on Rome IV criteria referred to the pediatric gastroenterology clinics of Mofid Hospital in Tehran and Besat Hospital in Hamadan, Iran. The children were randomly divided into two intervention and placebo groups. The intervention group received Roteflor probiotic sachets and the placebo group received sachets containing inactive ingredients in the same packaging daily for 4 weeks. The severity of abdominal pain and the number of pain episodes during treatment were assessed and recorded weekly by the parents based on the Oucher Pain Scale. Finally, the data between the two groups were compared using SPSS version 26 software.
Results: There was no significant difference in the distribution of age, gender, type of delivery, and family history of disease in the intervention and placebo groups. Pain intensity in the intervention group decreased significantly during treatment (P<0.05), but in the placebo group, the decrease in pain intensity was not significant. Pain intensity in the first to third weeks in the intervention group was less than in the placebo group, but the difference between the two groups was not statistically significant. In the fourth week, pain intensity in the intervention group was significantly less than in the placebo group (P=0.031). The average number of abdominal pain episodes in both groups decreased significantly during treatment (P<0.05). The mean number of pain episodes during treatment in the intervention group was significantly less than in the placebo group (P<0.05).
Conclusion: The results showed that the probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri significantly reduced the severity and frequency of abdominal pain in children with functional abdominal pain compared to placebo. Therefore, the probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri can be recommended as an appropriate control and treatment method in these children
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Type of Study: Original | Subject: Pediatrics (all specialties)

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