Randomized clinical trial of soy formula with and without added fiber in antibiotic-induced diarrhea

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the effects of soy formulas with and without added soy fiber in children who developed diarrhea while receiving antibiotics. Design: In a masked, randomized parallel study, older infants and toddlers were fed commercial soy formulas with or without added soy fiber for 10 days on occurrence of diarrhea during the administration of antibiotics. Subjects were stratified by feeding (formula versus cow's milk). The primary variables were duration of diarrhea, stool characteristics, and intake. Secondary variables were weight and spit-up. Results: All 45 children who completed the 10-day study received > 30% of their caloric intake from formula. Fiber intake from other foods did not differ between groups and averaged 0.5 g/day. Total median fiber intake of the group fed the formula with added fiber was 6.53 g/day. The mean duration of diarrhea was 25.1 +/- 5.2 hours for children fed the formula with added fiber and 51.6 +/- 10.7 hours for those fed the regular formula (P = .0013). Conclusion: The duration of antibiotic-induced diarrhea in children fed the soy formula with added soy fiber was significantly reduced.