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Updated: Apr 26, 2026

Probiotic Studies in Neonatal Mice Using Gavage
Published on: January 27, 2019
[Value of probiotic in reducing frequency of infectious complications in premature infants]
Insights
Administering the probiotic E. faecium L3 to premature infants significantly reduced infectious complications. This intervention supported the gut
Area of Science:
- Neonatal care
- Microbiology
- Pediatric gastroenterology
Context:
- Premature infants with very low body weight require intensive care.
- Standard care includes resuscitation, respiratory support, nutrition, and antimicrobial therapy.
- Assessing novel interventions to improve outcomes in this vulnerable population is crucial.
Purpose:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of the probiotic E. faecium L3 in reducing infectious complications in premature infants.
- To assess the impact of probiotic supplementation on nutritional support and intestinal microflora.
- To compare outcomes between infants receiving standard care plus probiotics and those receiving standard care alone.
Summary:
- A study observed 55 premature infants, with 29 receiving standard care plus oral probiotic E. faecium L3 and 26 receiving standard care only.
- The probiotic group showed a significant decrease in infectious complications (20.7%) compared to the control group (53.9%).
- Probiotic use helped maintain the immunomodulatory function of the intestinal microflora and limited the growth of nosocomial bacteria.
Impact:
- The findings suggest E. faecium L3 can be an effective adjunct therapy for premature infants.
- Reduced infectious complications can lead to shorter hospital stays and improved infant health outcomes.
- This research highlights the role of probiotics in modulating the gut microbiome for enhanced neonatal immunity.
Abstract:
Fifty five premature infants with very low body weight were observed as inpatients to assess effectiveness of the nursing. The standard program of the care included: adequate primary resuscitation, respiratory support (use of surfactant), thermal mode, early provision of nutrients with full or partial parenteral nutrition, antimicrobial therapy and if possible early enteral nutrition. The patients of the main group (n = 29) along with the standard therapy (the volume of the enteral nutrition of 5 ml or more) were treated orally with liquid probiotic based on E. faecium L3 in a dose of 0.5 ml (5 x 10(8) CFU) 3 times a day for 14 days. The control group (n = 26) was under the standard therapy. The effectiveness of the infants management was estimated by the frequency of disruption of the nutrition, the frequency of infectious complications, the changes in the hematologic indices, the dynamics of the composition of the intestinal microflora. The infectious complications were evident from perinatal viral infection, intraamniotic infection, necrotizing enterocolitis. In the main group patients there was recorded a significant decrease of the frequency of infectious complications: 20.7% against 53.9% in the control group patients. The use of probiotic strain E. faecium L3 in the preterm infants promoted conservation of the immunomodulatory function of the intestinal indigenic microflora and restricted the growth of the nosocomial flora.
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