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Effect of early administration of probiotics on gut microflora and feeding in pre-term infants: a randomized

Lin-Xia Qiao1, Wen-Ying Zhu1, Hai-Yan Zhang1

  • 1a Department of Pediatrics , The First People's Hospital of Kunsha, Jiangsu University , Kunshan , China.

The Journal of Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine : the Official Journal of the European Association of Perinatal Medicine, the Federation of Asia and Oceania Perinatal Societies, the International Society of Perinatal Obstetricians
|March 10, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Early probiotic supplementation with Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium in preterm infants significantly increased beneficial gut bacteria and reduced feeding intolerance. This supports the use of probiotics for improving gut health and feeding tolerance in vulnerable newborns.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal research
  • Microbiome studies
  • Clinical nutrition

Background:

  • Preterm infants often experience gut dysbiosis and feeding intolerance.
  • Early gut microbiome development is crucial for infant health.
  • Probiotics are investigated for their potential to modulate gut flora.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the impact of early probiotic administration on gut microflora composition in preterm infants.
  • To assess the influence of probiotics on feeding tolerance in this population.

Main Methods:

  • A double-blind, randomized, controlled trial involving 60 hospitalized preterm infants.
  • Administration of a probiotic containing Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium (LCB) to the intervention group.
  • Measurement of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium levels in fecal samples.
  • Monitoring the rate of feeding intolerance as a secondary outcome.

Main Results:

  • Significantly higher quantities of gut Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium were observed in the probiotic-supplemented group compared to the control group in both the first and second weeks.
  • The probiotic group showed a significantly lower incidence of feeding intolerance (13.3% vs. 46.7%).

Conclusions:

  • Early probiotic supplementation with LCB in preterm infants effectively increases beneficial gut bacteria.
  • This supplementation leads to a reduced rate of feeding intolerance, suggesting a beneficial role in neonatal care.
Abstract

Keywords:
Feeding intolerancegut microbiotapre-term infantsprobiotic supplementation

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