A Randomized Placebo-controlled Comparison of 2 Prebiotic/Probiotic Combinations in Preterm Infants: Impact on Weight Gain, Intestinal Microbiota, and Fecal Short-chain Fatty Acids

Study answer

What this study found

The synbiotic interventions did not improve weight gain, growth, or fecal short-chain fatty acids overall, but ProBioPlus DDS increased bifidobacterial colonization in stool. Regression-adjusted cumulative weight gain versus placebo was not significant at weeks 3, 4, or 5 for ProBioPlus DDS (14.7 g, 22.7 g, 30.7 g; all P>0.50) or Culturelle (3.9 g, 8.2 g, 12.5 g; all P>0.78). By culture, 64% of ProBioPlus DDS infants were colonized with bifidobacteria versus 18% with Culturelle and 27% with placebo (P=0.064), and 16S rDNA qPCR showed higher bifidobacterial stool content with ProBioPlus DDS…

Study & population

Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in premature infants in a neonatal intensive care unit.

Intervention

Culturelle (CUL) was administered as 1 mL twice daily by mouth or gavage for up to 28 days or until discharge, providing 5 x 10^8 organisms per dose of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG with inulin.

Key limitation

Small single-center NICU trial with only 90 enrolled infants and a short intervention window limited to 28 days or discharge.

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Original abstract