Homœopathic treatment of acute childhood diarrhoea

A double-blind, randomized clinical trial to compare homœopathic treatment versus placebo in the treatment of acute childhood diarrhoea was carried out in Leon, Nicaragua, in July 1990. 34 children aged 6 months to 5 years were randomized into active and placebo groups, both of which also received oral rehydration treatment. The mean duration of diarrhoea after treatment in the active group was 2.4 days, compared to 3.0 days in the placebo group, which was not statistically significant. Exploratory analysis revealed a statistically significant decrease (p=0.04) in the subgroup of patients for which an aetiological agent was found. There was also a significant difference in number of stools per day in the treated group (p=0.002) at the end of the treatment period. Since small numbers prevent a definitive conclusion from this study, further study with a larger sample size would seem appropriate.