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Antibiotic administration and oral bacterial therapy in infants
Insights
Bacillus subtilis spores helped maintain healthy gut bacteria during antibiotic treatment in children. This probiotic intervention prevented increased stool frequency and supported beneficial bacteria, unlike antibiotic therapy alone.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Microbiology
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Antibiotic therapy can disrupt the gut microbiota in children.
- This disruption may lead to gastrointestinal side effects such as diarrhea.
- Restoring microbial balance is crucial for pediatric health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effect of Bacillus subtilis spores combined with ampicillin on the gut microbiota of children.
- To assess the impact of this combination therapy on stool frequency.
- To compare the effects of antibiotic therapy alone versus antibiotic therapy with Bacillus subtilis.
Main Methods:
- Fecal samples from 35 children (3-24 months) were analyzed.
- Three groups were studied: control (no therapy), antibiotic therapy (ampicillin), and antibiotic therapy plus Bacillus subtilis.
- Changes in bacterial flora and stool frequency were monitored.
Main Results:
- Antibiotic therapy alone increased stool frequency and decreased aerobic bacterial species.
- Bacillus subtilis supplementation alongside ampicillin prevented increased stool frequency.
- The combination therapy led to an increase in saccharolytic aerobic and anaerobic flora.
Conclusions:
- Bacillus subtilis spores can mitigate antibiotic-induced diarrhea in children.
- This probiotic intervention helps preserve beneficial gut bacteria during antibiotic treatment.
- Oral bacteriotherapy with Bacillus subtilis is a promising strategy for pediatric gut health.
Abstract:
Feces samples of 35 children, aged between 3 and 24 months (mean age 12 months), were analyzed. Sixteen children who had no therapy were considered as "control samples"; an antibiotic therapy was administered to 8 subjects for at least 5 days for extraintestinal pathology (ampicillin, orally, at a dose of 100 mg/kg/die in three doses). Finally, the same antibiotic therapy with the addition, from the beginning over 5 days, of the oral preparation of Bacillus subtilis spores (4 X 10(9) die) was administered to 11 patients. During antibiotic therapy, the number of stools per day increased, but not for those patients taking B. subtilis spores. Regarding the bacterial flora, the subjects treated with antibiotic therapy alone showed a significant decrease of all aerobic species, except for fungi, anaerobic total count and aerobic cocci. After oral bacteriotherapy together with ampicillin, we observed an increase of saccharolytic flora, aerobic and anaerobic, while proteolytic flora did not show any changes.