PhD defence: The effect of probiotics on diarrhea in children with severe acute malnutrition - an intervention study in Uganda

Benedikte Grenov

PhD thesis

Every year 0.5 to 1 million children below 5 years of age die from severe acute malnutrition in low-income countries, and diarrhea is one of the most common causes for mortality. At the university hospital of Kampala, Uganda, we investigated if two probiotic strains, LGG and BB-12, could reduce diarrhea in children with SAM during hospitalization and the subsequent outpatient treatment.

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted among 400 children with SAM. The results showed that probiotics did not have any effect on the number of days with diarrhea during hospitalization; however, during outpatient treatment probiotics reduced days with diarrhea by 26%. There was no difference between the probiotic and placebo groups on other outcomes or mortality.

2016, 169 pages.

Time

16 December 2016, 13:00

Venue

Festauditoriet 1-01, Bülowsvej 17, 1870 Frederiksberg.

Opponents 

Professor Anders Sjödin (chair), Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.

Dr. Iva Hojsak, Children’s hospital Zagreb, Croatia.

Pr. Alan Jackson, University Hospital Southampton, UK.

Supervisor

Professor Kim Fleischer Michaelsen, Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.

Co supervisors

Professor Henrik Friis, Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.

Professor Christian Mølgaard, Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.