[Medical Q&A] Can probiotics “stop diarrhea”?

Planner: Chinese Medical Association

Reviewer: Niu Chao, deputy chief physician, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Chongqing Medical University

The causes of baby diarrhea are more complicated, mainly including infectious and non-infectious factors. Infectious diarrhea is mostly caused by viruses (such as rotavirus, norovirus), bacteria (such as Escherichia coli, Salmonella), etc.; non-infectious diarrhea may be caused by improper feeding (such as eating too much, too fast), complications caused by diseases such as pneumonia, adverse reactions caused by antibiotics (such as azithromycin), food allergies or abdominal cold.

Probiotics are a type of active microorganisms that are beneficial to the host. They mainly live in the human intestines and exert a variety of health benefits by regulating the balance of intestinal flora. In the case of diarrhea in babies, the flora in the intestines is often in a disordered state, the number of beneficial bacteria decreases, and harmful bacteria may multiply in large numbers. After probiotics enter the intestines, they can increase the number of beneficial bacteria and inhibit the growth and reproduction of harmful bacteria, thereby improving the intestinal microecological environment. In addition, probiotics can promote the repair of intestinal mucosa, enhance intestinal immunity, and help the intestines restore normal digestion and absorption functions.

Probiotics have a certain effect on baby diarrhea, but it cannot be generalized that they can "stop diarrhea". For non-infectious diarrhea, especially diarrhea caused by intestinal flora imbalance, such as diarrhea caused by the use of antibiotics, the effect of probiotics is usually more obvious, and can effectively help restore intestinal flora and alleviate diarrhea symptoms. However, for infectious diarrhea, such as diarrhea caused by rotavirus infection, probiotics mainly play an auxiliary therapeutic role and cannot replace anti-infective drugs. Moreover, different types of probiotics have different effects on different babies. Some babies have significant effects after taking them, while others are not so obvious.

If your baby has diarrhea, parents should first take the baby to see a doctor to find out the cause of the diarrhea. When using probiotics under the doctor's advice, pay attention to the storage and administration methods. Probiotics generally need to be refrigerated and should be taken with warm water not exceeding 40°C to avoid destroying their activity. At the same time, do not take them at the same time as antibiotics. It is best to take them 2 to 3 hours apart, because antibiotics will kill probiotics while killing harmful bacteria. In addition, control the dosage and course of treatment according to the doctor's advice, and do not increase or decrease them on your own.