Skip to main content

Guidance Provided for Fecal Microbiota Transplantation in Children

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Nov 20, 2023.

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, Nov. 20, 2023 -- For pediatric patients, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is recommended for moderate-to-severe or recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI), according to a clinical report published online Nov. 20 in Pediatrics.

Noting that current evidence supports the use of FMT for treatment of CDI in adults, Maria Oliva-Hemker, M.D., from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, and colleagues provided an overview of the use of FMT for children to facilitate appropriate guidance for families interested in FMT treatment.

The authors note there are no prospective clinical trials in children using FMT for CDI treatment. However, for pediatric patients with moderate-to-severe or recurrent CDI, studies support FMT use. To date, FMT is not recommended for clinical treatment of other medical conditions. For safety reasons, do-it-yourself, at-home FMT should not be performed in children. FMT should be performed in a center with adequate experience with the procedure. Regulatory standards are lacking for fecal preparations for FMT. The long-term effects of FMT are currently unknown. Rapid advances are anticipated in the field of antimicrobial therapies, which will potentially bring commercial products for the treatment of CDI.

"Although the anticipated benefit of these commercial microbiota therapeutics is appealing, they will likely come with their own set of challenges for children," the authors write. "It is also important to advocate that clinical trials for microbial therapeutic products include pediatric populations."

Abstract/Full Text

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Read this next

Gut Flora Differs in Patients With Epilepsy and Cognitive Dysfunction

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 16, 2024 -- There is an imbalance in the gut flora of patients with epilepsy compared with healthy controls, according to a study published online Sept. 28 in...

Upper GI Mucosal Damage Tied to Later Parkinson Disease Diagnosis

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 11, 2024 -- A history of upper gastrointestinal mucosal damage (MD) is associated with a higher subsequent risk for developing Parkinson disease (PD), according...

Fecal Microbiota Transplant No Aid for Parkinson Disease

FRIDAY, Aug. 2, 2024 -- Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is safe but does not offer clinically meaningful improvements for Parkinson disease (PD), according to a study...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.