Across 3 studies, 2 reported beneficial effects of Lactobacillus reuteri MAK02L14R on reducing duration of diarrhea in children with acute gastroenteritis, while 1 found no significant benefit. The predominant effect size was mixed (small to large), with meta-analyses showing reductions of approximately 0.87 days and 32 hours. Dose and form data were not consistently reported.
Caveats: Evidence base is small (only 3 studies) — conclusions should be considered preliminary. The two beneficial studies were meta-analyses that may include overlapping trials, and one recent RCT showed no effect, indicating inconsistency. Most studies used the DSM 17938 strain, which may not be identical to MAK02L14R — generalizability to the specific strain in question is uncertain.
Compared with placebo or no treatment, L. reuteri reduced diarrhea duration (four RCTs, n = 347, mean difference, MD -0.87 days, 95% CI [-1.43, -0.31]).
The duration of diarrhea after randomization in both groups was similar (P = 0.6).
Compared with placebo or no treatment, DSM 17938 significantly reduced the duration of diarrhoea (mean difference -32 h, 95% confidence interval (CI): -41 to -24)