{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,22]],"date-time":"2026-07-22T21:12:46Z","timestamp":1784754766937,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":30,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2019,12,20]],"date-time":"2019-12-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1576800000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJERPH"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The aims of this study were to evaluate the efficacy of magnesium alginate in decreasing functional regurgitation symptoms in infants, and to assess the cost\u2013benefit ratio of magnesium alginate compared to a thickened formula. A multicenter perspective cross-over study was conducted in formula-fed infants with persisting regurgitation, randomly assigned to receive two weeks of a magnesium-alginate-based formulation followed by two weeks of thickened formula, or vice-versa. Infants, exclusively breast-fed, were followed up for two weeks while receiving magnesium alginate. Symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux (GER) were evaluated through the Infant Gastroesophageal Reflux Questionnaire Revised (I-GERQ-R). Direct cost of treatments was also calculated. Seventy-two infants completed the study. We found a significant reduction of I-GERQ-R scores over time (F = 55.387; p &lt; 0.001) in all groups with no difference between the sequences of administration (F = 0.268; p = 0.848) in formula-fed infants and between exclusively breast-fed and formula-fed infants receiving magnesium alginate (t = 1.55; p = 0.126). The mean cost savings per infant was \u20ac 4.60 (\u00b111.2) in formula-fed infants treated with magnesium alginate compared to thickened formula (t = 2.91, p &lt; 0.0005). Conclusions were that the magnesium-alginate formulation reduces GER symptoms both in formula-fed and breast-fed infants. In formula-fed infants, clinical efficacy is similar to thickened formulas with a slightly lower cost of treatment.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph17010083","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2019,12,20]],"date-time":"2019-12-20T09:50:33Z","timestamp":1576835433000},"page":"83","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":25,"title":["Magnesium Alginate in Gastro-Esophageal Reflux: A Randomized Multicenter Cross-Over Study in Infants"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"17","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0590-6664","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maria Elisabetta","family":"Baldassarre","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, Neonatology and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, \u201cAldo Moro\u201d University of Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7052-9784","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Antonio","family":"Di Mauro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, Neonatology and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, \u201cAldo Moro\u201d University of Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Maria Cristina","family":"Pignatelli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, Neonatology and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, \u201cAldo Moro\u201d University of Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0128-9745","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Margherita","family":"Fanelli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, \u201cAldo Moro\u201d University of Bari, 70100 Bari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Silvia","family":"Salvatore","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, \u201cF. Del Ponte\u201d Hospital, University of Insubria, 21100 Varese, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Giovanni","family":"Di Nardo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Chiar of Pediatrics, NESMOS Department, School of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Sant\u2019Andrea University Hospital, Via di Grottarossa 1035-1039, 00189 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Andrea","family":"Chiaro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, \u201cMaggiore\u201d Hospital, 26013 Crema, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2043-5530","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Licia","family":"Pensabene","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Pediatric Unit, University \u201cMagna Graecia\u201d of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4610-1216","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nicola","family":"Laforgia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, Neonatology and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, \u201cAldo Moro\u201d University of Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2019,12,20]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"6547","DOI":"10.3748\/wjg.v22.i28.6547","article-title":"Epidemiology of functional gastrointestinal disorders in infants and toddlers: A systematic review","volume":"22","author":"Matijasevich","year":"2016","journal-title":"World J. 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