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Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction-based Analyses of Murine Intestinal Microbiota After Oral Antibiotic Treatment
08:33

Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction-based Analyses of Murine Intestinal Microbiota After Oral Antibiotic Treatment

Published on: November 17, 2018

Faecal microbiota in breast-fed infants after antibiotic therapy

F Savino1, J Roana, N Mandras

  • 1Department of Paediatrics, Ospedale Infantile Regina Margherita, Turin, Italy. francesco.savino@unito.it

Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)
|December 15, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Antibiotic therapy significantly altered infant gut microbiota, reducing total bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae, and enterococci. Exclusively breast-fed infants showed gut microbiota recovery post-therapy.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Pediatrics
  • Gastroenterology

Background:

  • Antibiotic use in infants can disrupt the developing gut microbiota.
  • The gut microbiome plays a crucial role in infant health and immunity.
  • Understanding microbiota recovery post-antibiotics is vital for infant health.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess changes in gut microbiota composition in exclusively breast-fed infants following antibiotic treatment for pneumonia.
  • To evaluate the recovery of gut microbiota after ceftriaxone therapy.

Main Methods:

  • Stool samples from 26 exclusively breast-fed infants (<5 months) treated with ceftriaxone were analyzed.
  • Microbiota analysis included total bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae, enterococci, and lactobacilli counts.
  • Samples were collected before, during (day 5), and after (day 15) antibiotic therapy.

Main Results:

  • A significant reduction in total bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae, and enterococci was observed after 5 days of ceftriaxone.
  • Lactobacilli were undetectable after 5 days of antibiotic treatment.
  • Gut microbiota counts returned to baseline levels 15 days after therapy cessation.

Conclusions:

  • Five days of ceftriaxone therapy significantly alters infant gut microbiota composition.
  • Exclusive breastfeeding appears to support the re-establishment of gut microbiota in early infancy.
Abstract

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