Background
Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has been well described in the treatment of pediatric diseases; however, the latest updates regarding its use in children are unclear and the concepts involved need to be revisited.
Data sources
We performed advanced searches in the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases using the keywords “Fecal microbiota transplantation OR Fecal microbiota transfer” in the [Title/Abstract] to identify relevant articles published in English within the last five years. To identify additional studies, reference lists of review articles and included studies were manually searched. Retrieved manuscripts (case reports, reviews, and abstracts) were assessed by the authors.
Results
Among the articles, studies were based on the mechanism (
n
= 28), sample preparation (
n
= 9), delivery approaches (
n
= 23), safety (
n
= 26), and indications (
n
= 67), including
Clostridium difficile
infection (CDI) and recurrent
C. difficile
infection (rCDI;
n
= 21), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD;
n
= 10), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS;
n
= 5), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD;
n
= 15), diabetes (
n
= 5), functional constipation (FC;
n
= 4), and autism spectrum disorder (ASD;
n
= 7).
Conclusions
Concepts of FMT in pediatric diseases have been updated with respect to underlying mechanisms, methodology, indications, and safety. Evidence-based clinical trials for the use of FMT in pediatric diseases should be introduced to resolve the challenges of dosage, duration, initiation, and the end point of treatment.