Soy fiber has been shown to reduce the duration of watery stools during acute diarrhea caused by bacterial and viral pathogens in underdeveloped countries. A randomized blinded clinical trial was conducted with middle-class American children to assess the efficacy of soy fibersupplemented infant formula. Stool characteristics, intake, and weight were recorded. Infants >6 months of age (n = 44) fed soy fiber-supplemented formula (Isomil DF) had a significantly shorter estimated median duration of diarrhea (9.7 hours vs. 23.1 hours) than those fed soy formula (Isomil). The use of fiber-supplemented soy formula may reduce the duration of diarrheal symptoms in U. S. infants more than 6 months of age with acute diarrhea.
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