Overview
The goal of this clinical trial is to compare amino acid-fortified oral rehydration therapy (ORT) to the standard of care ORT in pediatric patients with acute gastroenteritis (AGE). The main questions it aims to answer are:
- can amino acid-fortified ORT reduce the duration and severity of AGE compared to standard of care ORT?
- can amino acid-fortified ORT increase the secretion of antimicrobial peptides in the gastrointestinal tract compared to standard of care ORT?
Participants will be assigned to the experimental treatment (amino acid-fortified ORT) or the standard of care ORT and their disease severity, duration, and stool antimicrobial peptide content.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria:
- Between the ages of 6 months and 5 years.
- Experiencing mild to moderate acute gastroenteritis for less than two (2) days before admission to Pediatric Emergency Department.
- Diarrhea presumed infectious
Exclusion Criteria:
- Severe gastroenteritis with moderate to severe dehydration
- Requiring inpatient care
- Requiring antibiotics
- Requiring IV rehydration
- History of chronic diarrhea
- Presenting with diarrhea for greater than 2 days prior to admission
- Allergy to any of the ingredients in the study products
- Inborn metabolic disorder of amino acids
- Receives post-pyloric feedings