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Potential use of multi-strain synbiotics for improving postnatal head circumference
Ipek Guney Varal1, Nilgun Koksal2, Hilal Ozkan3
1Ipek Guney-Varal, M.D. Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Uludag University Faculty of Medicine, Bursa, Turkey.
Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences
|December 19, 2018
Summary
Synbiotics significantly improved head circumference and body weight in preterm infants. This suggests synbiotics may support optimal neurodevelopment by influencing gut microbiota and the central nervous system.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal Medicine
- Microbiology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Preterm infants require specific nutritional and medical care for optimal growth.
- Neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) present challenges with pathogens and nutrient availability.
- Limited strategies exist to enhance outcomes for vulnerable preterm infants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential of synbiotics to promote brain growth in preterm infants.
- To assess the effect of synbiotics on head circumference as an indirect measure of brain growth.
- To explore the role of signaling molecules in synbiotic-mediated effects.
Main Methods:
- A pilot study involving preterm infants (gestational age ≤32 weeks, birth weight ≤1500 grams) in a NICU.
- Randomized administration of a commercial synbiotic solution (probiotics and prebiotics) enterally.
- One-year study period at Uludag University Medical Faculty NICU.
Main Results:
- Synbiotics significantly reduced the odds of infants having body weight below the 10th percentile (p=0.001).
- Synbiotics significantly reduced the odds of infants having head circumference below the 10th percentile (p=0.03).
- Infants receiving synbiotics showed more optimal head circumference, between the 50th and 90th percentiles (p=0.001).
Conclusions:
- Maintaining optimal gut microbiota through synbiotics may lead to improved neurodevelopment.
- Synbiotics may positively influence cytokines, neurotransmitters, and central nervous system immunity.
- Further research is needed to fully elucidate the central nervous system benefits of synbiotics.
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