Probiotics Reduce Necrotizing Enterocolitis Severity in HIV-exposed Premature Infants.

Study answer

What this study found

Overall, probiotic supplementation reduced necrotizing enterocolitis in the cohort, and in HIV-exposed infants it was associated more with reduced severity than with clear prevention of severe disease. In the HIV-exposed probiotic arm, all stages of NEC occurred in 3 (3%) versus 6 (6%) in placebo (p=0.029), with Bell's I in 2 (5%) versus 0 (p=0.045) and Bell's III in 0 versus 2 (5%) (p=0.36). In HIV-unexposed infants, time to full feeding was shorter with probiotics: 9.63 ± 2.42 vs 11.14 ± 4.15 days (p=0.022).

Study & population

Single-center randomized placebo-controlled study in premature very low birth weight infants in a South African neonatal unit.

Intervention

Pro-B2 probiotic was given daily as five drops mixed with breast milk and administered orally or via orogastric tube.

Key limitation

Findings come from a single neonatal unit with small HIV-exposed and HIV-unexposed subgroup sample sizes, limiting precision and generalizability.

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Original abstract