Childhood Diarrhoea, the Developing Gut and Homeopathy - From Literature Review to Clinical Evidence
Keywords:
Childhood, diarrhea, global, publicAbstract
Childhood diarrhea remains a major global public health challenge and continues to be one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among children under five years of age. Despite significant advances in vaccination, oral rehydration therapy, sanitation, and nutritional interventions, diarrheal diseases ac count for approximately 443,832 deaths annually in children younger than five years and remain among the leading contributors to child hood malnutrition, impaired growth, and developmental delays world wide. While infectious agents such as rotavirus, norovirus, Escherichia coli, Shigella, and Cryptosporidium continue to be important etiological factors, recent advances in pediatric gastroenterology have transformed the understanding of childhood diar rhea from a purely pathogen-driven disorder to one involving complex interactions between the developing gut microbiome, mucosal immunity, intestinal barrier integrity, and host immune responses.
Downloads
References
World Health Organization. WHO Foodborne Disease Burden Epidemiology Reference Group for 2021–2024: Second Meeting Report, 19 October–2 November 2021. World Health Organization; 2024 Oct 23.
UNICEF/WHO. Diarrhoea: Why Children Are Still Dying and What Can Be Done. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)/World Health Organization (WHO); 2009 Dec 15. p. 1–44.
Dominguez-Bello MG, Costello EK, Contreras M, Magris M, Hidalgo G, Fierer N, Knight R. Delivery mode shapes the acquisition and structure of the initial microbiota across multiple body habitats in newborns. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2010;107(26):11971–11975.
Valdes AM, Walter J, Segal E, Spector TD. Role of the gut microbiota in nutrition and health. BMJ. 2018;361.
Wiertsema SP, van Bergenhenegouwen J, Garssen J, Knippels LM. The interplay between the gut microbiome and the immune system in the context of infectious diseases throughout life and the role of nutrition in optimizing treatment strategies. Nutrients. 2021;13(3):886.
Milani C, Duranti S, Bottacini F, Casey E, Turroni F, Mahony J, Belzer C, Delgado Palacio S, Arboleya Montes S, Mancabelli L, Lugli GA. The first microbial colonizers of the human gut: Composition, activities, and health implications of the infant gut microbiota. Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews. 2017;81(4):e00036-17.
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). Monitoring the Sale of Fresh Fruits for Use of Unauthorized or Prohibited Artificial Ripening Agents [Internet]. New Delhi: FSSAI; 2025 May 16 [cited 2026 Jul 3]. Available from: https://fssai.gov.in/upload/advisories/2025/05/682724f468641FSSAI%20letter%20dated%2016052025-Fruits-Artificial%20Ripening.pdf
Balali GI, Yar DD, Dela VGA, Adjei-Kusi P. Microbial contamination, an increasing threat to the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables in today's world. International Journal of Microbiology. 2020;2020:3029295.
Tripathy V, Tandekar K, Gupta R. Pesticide residues in food commodities in India: An overview. Indian Journal of Plant Protection. 2024.
Merck Manual Professional Edition. Diarrhea.
Robertson RC, Manges AR, Finlay BB, Prendergast AJ. The human microbiome and child growth—First 1000 days and beyond. Trends in Microbiology. 2019;27(2):131–147.
Renz H, Skevaki C. Early life microbial exposures and allergy risks: Opportunities for prevention. Nature Reviews Immunology. 2021;21(3):177–191.
Boericke W. New Manual of Homoeopathic Materia Medica & Repertory (with Relationship of Remedies). 2nd rev. ed. Reprint 2002. New Delhi: B. Jain Publishers.
Kent JT. Repertory of the Homoeopathic Materia Medica. New Delhi: B. Jain Publishers; 1992.
Farrington EA. Lectures on Clinical Materia Medica. New Delhi: B. Jain Publishers; 2003.
Banerjee P, Hall HH. Materia Medica of Indian Drugs. Encyclopaedia Homeopathica. 1992;2:0069.
Hering C. The Guiding Symptoms of Our Materia Medica. New Delhi: B. Jain Publishers; 2005.
Douglass ME. Pearls of Homoeopathy. New Delhi: B. Jain Publishers; 2003.
Cowperthwaite AC. A Text Book of Materia Medica: Characteristic, Analytical, and Comparative. Gross & Delbridge; 1887.
Jacobs J, Jiménez LM, Gloyd SS, Gale JL, Crothers D. Treatment of acute childhood diarrhea with homeopathic medicine: A randomized clinical trial in Nicaragua. Pediatrics. 1994;93(5):719–725. doi:10.1542/peds.93.5.719
Jacobs J, Jiménez LM, Malthouse S, Chapman E, Crothers D, Masuk M, Jonas W. Homeopathic treatment of acute childhood diarrhea: Results from a clinical trial in Nepal. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 2000;6(2):131–139. doi:10.1089/acm.2000.6.131
Jacobs J, Jiménez-Pérez M, Crothers D. Homeopathy for childhood diarrhea: Combined results and meta-analysis from three randomized, controlled clinical trials. Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal. 2003;22(3):229–234. doi:10.1097/01.INF.0000055096.25724.48
Nayak C, Singh V, Singh KP, Singh H, Sharma A, Oberai P, et al. A prospective multicentric observational study to evolve the usefulness of the predefined homoeopathic medicines in the management of acute diarrheal disease in children. Indian Journal of Research in Homoeopathy. 2009;3(2):19–27. doi:10.53945/2320-7094.1777
Guarino A, Albano F, Ashkenazi S, Gendrel D, Hoekstra JH, Shamir R, Szajewska H. European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition/European Society for Paediatric Infectious Diseases evidence-based guidelines for the management of acute gastroenteritis in children in Europe: Executive summary. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition. 2008;46(5):619–621.
Robertson RC, Manges AR, Finlay BB, Prendergast AJ. The human microbiome and child growth—First 1000 days and beyond. Trends in Microbiology. 2019;27(2):131–147.
Tamburini S, Shen N, Wu HC, Clemente JC. The microbiome in early life: Implications for health outcomes. Nature Medicine. 2016;22(7):713–722.
Shane AL, Mody RK, Crump JA, Tarr PI, Steiner TS, Kotloff K, Langley JM, Wanke C, Warren CA, Cheng AC, Cantey J. 2017 Infectious Diseases Society of America clinical practice guidelines for the diagnosis and management of infectious diarrhea. Clinical Infectious Diseases. 2017;65(12):e45–e80.
Bellavite P, Marzotto M, Olioso D, Moratti E, Conforti A. High-dilution effects revisited. 1. Physicochemical aspects. Homeopathy. 2014;103(1):4–21.
Mathie RT, Lloyd SM, Legg LA, Clausen J, Moss S, Davidson JR, Ford I. Randomised placebo-controlled trials of individualised homeopathic treatment: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Systematic Reviews. 2014;3(1):142.
