Category Ranking
98%
Total Visits
921
Avg Visit Duration
2 minutes
Citations
20
Article Abstract
Background: Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is the most common serious acquired disease of the gastrointestinal tract in preterm infants. Probiotic bacteria are live microbial supplements that colonize the gastrointestinal tract and potentially provide benefit to the host.
Objective: To compare the efficacy and safety of prophylactic enteral probiotics administration versus placebo or no treatment in the prevention of severe NEC and other morbidities in preterm infants.
Methods: A meta-analysis was performed in accordance with the Cochrane Neonatal Review Group methods. Preterm infants <37 weeks' gestational age and/or <2,500 g birth weight were included. Literature searches were made of MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library Controlled Trials Register (CENTRAL), and abstracts of annual meetings of the Society for Pediatric Research and the European Society of Pediatric Research.
Results: Nine eligible trials randomizing 1,425 infants were included. Included trials were highly variable with regard to enrollment criteria, baseline risk of NEC in the control groups, timing, dose, formulation of the probiotics, and feeding regimens. In a meta-analysis, enteral probiotics supplementation significantly reduced the incidence of severe NEC [typical RR 0.32 (95% CI 0.17, 0.60)] and mortality [typical RR 0.43 (95% CI 0.25, 0.75)]. There was no evidence of significant reduction of nosocomial sepsis [typical RR 0.93 (95% CI 0.73, 1.19)] or days on total parenteral nutrition [weighted mean difference -1.9 (95% CI -4.6, 0.77)]. The statistical test of heterogeneity for NEC, mortality and sepsis was insignificant. Data regarding extremely low birth weight infants (ELBW) could not be extrapolated. The included trials reported no systemic infection with the probiotics supplemental organism.
Conclusion: Enteral supplementation of probiotics reduces the risk of severe NEC and mortality in preterm infants. A large randomized controlled trial is required to investigate the benefit and safety profile of probiotics supplementation in ELBW infants.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1159/000235684 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Perinatal Arterial Ischemic Stroke in Monochorionic Twins: A Retrospective Observational Single-Center Cohort Study.
Stroke
September 2025
Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Willem-Alexander Children's Hospital, Leiden University Medical Center, the Netherlands. (B.O.v.O., M.R., M.S.S., E.L., L.S.d.V., S.J.S.).
Background: Monochorionic twins, characterized by placental sharing and vascular anastomoses, carry a high risk of brain injury, including perinatal arterial ischemic stroke (PAIS). However, the pathophysiology and timing-related risk factors of PAIS remain unclear.
Methods: Retrospective cohort of all monochorionic twins with neuroimaging-confirmed PAIS born from 2005 to 2024 and evaluated at a Dutch national referral center.
Longitudinal analysis of oral microbiome changes during the neonatal period in full-term and preterm newborns.
J Oral Microbiol
September 2025
Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Yonsei University College of Dentistry, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Background: The neonatal period is critical for oral microbiome establishment, but temporal patterns in preterm newborns remain unclear. This study examined longitudinal microbiome changes in full-term and preterm newborns and assessed perinatal and clinical influences.
Methods: Oral swabs were collected from 98 newborns (23 full-term, 75 preterm).
A Retrospective Multicenter Stratified Study on Perinatal Factors Influencing Neonatal Mortality in Preterm Infants in Kazakhstan.
Int J Pediatr
August 2025
Department of Neonatology, Asfendiyarov Kazakh National Medical University, Almaty, Kazakhstan.
This study is aimed at evaluating the cumulative effect of postnatal risk factors on the survival of preterm neonates by examining key clinical parameters and complications across various gestational ages. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from 1109 neonates admitted to neonatal intensive care units at two tertiary regional hospitals in Kazakhstan between 2021 and 2024. Patients were classified into three groups based on gestational age: extremely preterm (< 28 weeks, = 223), very preterm (28-31 weeks, = 384), and moderate to late preterm (32-36 weeks, = 502).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCall to action: recognize and prevent the effects of extreme heat on early childhood development and health.
Front Public Health
September 2025
Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States.
The frequency and severity of heat waves are expected to worsen with climate change. Exposure to extreme heat, or prolonged unusually high temperatures, are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The fetus, infant, and young child are more sensitive to higher temperatures than older children and most adults given that they are rapidly developing.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRed blood cell transfusion frequency and the risk and severity of bronchopulmonary dysplasia in preterm infants: a retrospective cohort study.
BMC Pediatr
September 2025
Department of Neonatology, Zhangzhou Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Zhangzhou, Fujian, China.
Background: Red blood cell (RBC) transfusion is a common intervention for anemia in preterm infants; however, its association with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) remains debated. While biological mechanisms suggest potential harm, the clinical impact of transfusion frequency on BPD incidence and severity remains unclear.
Objective: To investigate whether RBC transfusion frequency is independently associated with the risk and severity of BPD in preterm infants born before 32 weeks of gestation.