Tehran University of Medical Sciences Journal of Food Safety and Hygiene 2476-3241 1 2 2015 12 08 78 82 EN Masumeh Abedini Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran Golnaz Mortaz-Hejri Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran Ali Delpisheh Department of Epidemiology and Prevention of Psychosocial Injuries, Research Center, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran Mohammadaziz Rasouli Department of Epidemiology, School of Medicine, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran Abdorrahim Afkhamzadeh Department of Community Medicine and Social Determinants of Health, Research Center, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran 2015 12 07 2015 12 07 Probiotics are non-pathogenic live bacteria, grow in the intestines and regulate intestinal micro flora. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of probiotic treatment on acute childhood diarrhea. Through a randomized clinical trial, 80 children classified into two equal groups were recruited. Participants aged between 6 months to 5 years with non-bacterial gastroenteritis admitted to the pediatric wards in Sanandaj city, western Iran. The first and second groups received IV therapy plus probiotic yogurt and only IV therapy, respectively. Of 80 children, 52.5% were female. There were no significant differences before intervention in terms of age, gender, nutrition and severity of diarrhea. Severity of diarrhea was altered by 95% and 27.5% (p=0.0001), and mean (±SD) hospitalization days were 2.42 ± 0.55 and 4.47 ± 1.47 in the first and second groups, respectively. The frequency of hospitalization days due to acute diarrhea, were 2.42 ± 0.55 and 4.47 ± 1.47 in the first and second groups, respectively. Consumption of probiotic yogurt reduces duration, severity and frequency of acute diarrhea in hospitalized children. https://jfsh.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jfsh/article/view/20 https://jfsh.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jfsh/article/download/20/22