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Studies comparing thickened feeds with placebo produce confusing results. Here are a few.

A study of 20 children aged between one and sixteen weeks compared children on feeds thickened by carob flour and children on Saint John’s bread. Carob flour is a bean gum preparation and Saint John’s bread is a feed without fibre or polysaccharides. After a week regurgitation with carob flour was decreased but the change in frequency and volume was not significant.

Another study of 24 children aged 5-11 months on feeds thickened with carob flour was compared to formula milk thickened with rice flour. After two weeks there was a significant reduction of symptoms and the number of vomiting episodes in the group using carob flour.

The trial also found that coughing was more frequent in the group of infants on feeds thickened by rice flour.

A study of 20 children of mean age of 28 months compared sodium alginate with placebo showed a reduction of regurgitation of up to 33% in the group on sodium alginate.

Sodium alginate has a high sodium content and this drug, therefore, should be used very carefully in pre-tern babies.

Dr. Phil Hariram,

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