Effects of Lactose‑Restricted Regimen in Breastfeeding Children with Acute Diarrhea

Background: Acute diarrhea is a major cause of mortality in children. Few studies have addressed the administration of lactose‑restricted diets in breastfed children with acute diarrhea. The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of a lactose‑restricted regimen on breastfed children with acute diarrhea treated with zinc supplements. Methods: The present single‑blind randomized clinical trial was conducted on children aged 6‑24 months in Amirkola Children’s Hospital (2015‑2017). 90 children were randomly assigned to two groups. Group A was daily treated with 20 mg of zinc and a lactose‑restricted diet and breast milk for two weeks. Group B received 20 mg of zinc and breast milk and an age‑appropriate diet for two weeks. The data collected in all the subjects included the frequency of diarrhea and the mean duration of hospitalization and recovery from diarrhea. Results: The two groups were not significantly different in terms of mean age, weight and ratio of males to females. The mean duration of hospitalization was found to be 3.1 ± 0.8 days in group A and 3.2 ± 0.6 in group B (P = 0.3), the mean duration of recovery to be 2.9 ± 0.8 in group A and 2.6 ± 1.1 in group B (P = 0.2) and the mean frequency of diarrhea 2.9 ± 0.7 in group A and 2.8 ± 0.8 days in group B (P = 0.5), suggesting no significant differences between the two groups. No adverse effects associated with zinc therapy were reported. Conclusions: A lactose‑restricted regimen was found not to be beneficial for children with acute diarrhea under continuous breastfeeding and zinc therapy.