Association between probiotics and bronchopulmonary dysplasia in preterm infants

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia is a chronic pulmonary disease with a high incidence in premature infants, and there is still no effective treatment. The purpose of our study was to analyze the association between the use of probiotics and BPD in premature infants. We retrospectively collected clinical data of infants with gestational age < 32 weeks admitted to the NICU of The First Hospital of Jilin University from January 1, 2019 to March 31, 2020. Demographic and clinicopathological data of the inclusion population were collected. The outcome was the incidence of BPD or death. The χ² tests was used to compare the categorical variables. The t test and non-parametric Wilcoxon rank-sum test were used to compare the continuous data. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to analyze the association between probiotics and BPD. A total of 318 newborns met the inclusion criteria, of which 94 received probiotics and 224 received no probiotics. There were 16 deaths and 115 newborns with BPD in the included population. The results of univariate analysis showed differences in the maternal diabetes, the proportion of systemic antibiotics given to mother within 24 h before birth, the receiving rate of invasive mechanical ventilation, the prevalence of BPD/death, PDA, RDS and Ivh between newborns with and without probiotics (p < 0.05); The results of unadjusted univariate logistic regression model showed that probiotic (OR 0.034, 95% CI 0.012-0.096) was the factor affecting BPD in preterm infants (p < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression result (OR 0.037, 95% CI 0.013-0.105) was consistent with univariate analysis (P < 0.001). Probiotics are associated with a reduced risk of BPD in preterm infants < 32 weeks of age. More prospective studies with large samples are still needed.