Chronic non-specific diarrhoea in childhood: how often is it iatrogenic?

Epidemiological data, the appropriateness of the medical approach, the effectiveness of unrestricted diet and the subsequent course of chronic non-specific diarrhoea (CNSD) were evaluated in 20 children, mean age at diagnosis 4.7 y, and mean duration of diarrhoea 24 months. A mean of 2.4, previous hospital admissions and a mean of 2.5 diagnoses other than CNSD were recorded per child before admission. On admission, 14/20 were following an elimination diet and 8/20 had an inadequate caloric intake; 16/20 had a weight/height ratio below the 50th percentile. In all cases a normal diet prescribed during hospitalization improved the diarrhoea and increased weight, A telephone interview performed 5.6 y after discharge revealed that in 10/20 of the cases, the parents were disappointed with the unrestricted diet prescribed during hospitalization. Nevertheless they reported that CNSD stopped spontaneously in a mean time of 1.7 y.