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Updated: Jan 20, 2026
A Novel Method for Involving Women of Color at High Risk for Preterm Birth in Research Priority Setting
Published on: January 12, 2018
Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus for preventing necrotizing enterocolitis in very-low-birth-weight preterm infants:
Xue Jiao1, Meng-Di Fu1, Ya-Yun Wang2
1School of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
Insights
A combination of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus probiotics effectively prevents necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in very-low-birth-weight preterm infants. Neither Bifidobacterium nor Lactobacillus alone demonstrated a significant protective effect against NEC.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal Medicine
- Gastroenterology
- Microbiology
Background:
- Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) poses a significant risk to very-low-birth-weight preterm infants.
- The efficacy of probiotics, specifically Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, in preventing NEC remains debated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically evaluate the impact of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus probiotics on NEC incidence in very-low-birth-weight preterm infants.
- To determine if a combination of these probiotics offers superior protection compared to individual strains.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive literature search was conducted across PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library (2010-2019).
- Meta-analysis was performed using fixed-effect or random-effect models.
- Sensitivity analyses and publication bias tests (trim-and-fill, Begger's, Egger's) were employed.
Main Results:
- The meta-analysis included 16 studies involving 4632 infants.
- Bifidobacterium alone showed a non-significant trend towards reduced NEC morbidity (RR 0.75, P=0.06).
- Lactobacillus alone did not significantly lower NEC risk (RR 0.67, P=0.16).
- A mixture of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus significantly reduced NEC risk (RR 0.45, P=0.007).
Conclusions:
- The combination of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus is effective in preventing NEC in very-low-birth-weight preterm infants.
- Individual administration of Bifidobacterium or Lactobacillus does not provide significant protection against NEC in this population.
Background:
The therapeutic effect of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus on necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in very-low-birth-weight preterm infants was controversial, and we aimed to explore the exact impact of the two probiotics.
Methods:
The PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science and Cochrane Library were systematically searched for studies published from January 1, 2010 to February 28, 2019. Results were combined with fixed-effect model or random-effect model with specific conditions. Sensitivity analysis was conducted by the trim-and-fill method, and the Begger's and Egger's test were used to measure publication bias.
Results:
The meta-analysis included 16 original articles with 4632 very-low-birth-weight preterm infants. With respect to the intervention of Bifidobacterium, we estimated non-significant decrease in the morbidity of NEC with a risk ratio (RR) of 0.75 [95% confidence internal (CI) 0.56-1.01, P = 0.06]. Regarding the effect of Lactobacillus, there was no evidence of significant lower risk in the incidence of NEC (RR = 0.67, 95% CI 0.39-1.17, P = 0.16). The use of mixture of probiotics (Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus) reduced the risk of NEC in the probiotics group (RR = 0.45, 95% CI 0.25-0.80, P = 0.007).
Conclusion:
The mixture of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus could prevent the morbidity of NEC in very-low-birth-weight preterm infants. But Bifidobacterium or Lactobacillus alone did not show this effect.
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