Effects of a Modern Kefir on Conditions Associated with Moderate Severe Spastic Quadriparesis Cerebral Palsy

Abstract

Cerebral palsy (CP) in children constitutes a set of movement and body posture disorders caused by brain injury, which in turn is associated with a series of intestinal, respiratory, and malnutrition conditions. Twenty-four children were selected and included for the present study and subdivided into two groups: (1) children who included modern kefir (containing 12 probiotic species) in their diet; and (2) control group (not including kefir in their diet). The group supplemented with modern kefir received a beverage with multi probiotic species and the control group received commercial yogurt (which included the 2 typical lactic acid bacteria) for 7 weeks. Anthropometric variables, resting energy expenditure, presence, and diagnosis of functional digestive disorders (FDD), frequency of respiratory problems, presence of elevated C-reactive protein, differential count of leukocytes were evaluated. A significant increase in weight and height was found in the kefir group at the final time point. In addition, kefir intake promoted a significant reduction in functional constipation and stool hardness and increased the absolute value of blood lymphocytes. Since the fermented milk beverage modern kefir improves constipation, which is the most important FDD in children with CP and the nutritional and immune status, it could be considered an important strategy to improve health in these children.

From the past to the future: Fermented milks and their health effects against human diseases

“…The most famous fermented dairy products using a combination of LAB and yeast are kefir and koumiss. As a traditional fermented milk with a long history, the colony structure of kefir grains and their nutritional properties have been the focus of many scientific studies (Rodríguez‐Hernández et al., 2022; Rosa et al., 2017). The microbial composition of kefir is complex, varies from region to region, and still controversial.…”

Probiotics, Prebiotics, and Synbiotics on Constipation in Children with Cerebral Palsy

“…Rodríguez-Hernández et al, [51] conducted an intervention of 49 days (7 weeks) with modern kefir on conditions associated with moderate severe spastic quadriparesis cerebral palsy. Milk kefir is a dairy product that includes several microorganisms, which contain bacteria from genera Bifidobacterium, Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, and Lactobacillus, as well as yeasts from Saccharomyces, containing up to 50 probiotic species [52,53].…”