Fortified Oral Rehydration Therapy for Pediatric Diarrhea

Reduction of Severity and Duration of Pediatric Gastroenteritis Through Amino Acid Fortified Oral Rehydration Therapy

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.

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