The effect of probiotics on enteral milk tolerance and prevention of necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm infants

Abstract

Objective: Given the contradictory results of studies on the efficacy of probiotics in reducing necrotizing enterocolitis and few studies in Iran, we decided to investigate the effect of probiotics on milk tolerance and prevention of necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm infants.Patients and Methods: This study was a randomized triple-blind clinical trial conducted on all preterm infants between 30 and 36 gestation weeks and body birth weight >1250 g hospitalized in neonatal intensive care unit at Bentolhoda hospital in Bojnurd. Then, 76 eligible neonates were randomly divided into two groups of receiving oral placebo (n=386) and BB care probiotic (n=3638). Information about early or late necrotizing enterocolitis (after 7 days of birth), types of necrotizing enterocolitis (grade I, II and III), length of hospital stayduration of hospitalization, time to reach complete oral nutrition, weight at discharge and milk tolerance based on hospital checklist were extracted.Results: In this study, 52.6% of infants in control group and 47.4% of newborns in the intervention group were male and no significant difference was seen between the two groups (p = 0.646). Incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis There was was significantly a reduced statistically significantamong intervention group difference between the two groups in the terms of incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis. The feeding onset of milk feeding in the placebo group was started significantly later than intervention group. There was alsoWe found a significant difference between the two groups in the length of hospital stay as well as weight gain during hospitalization.Conclusion: According to the results of this study, the useadministration of probiotics in preterm neonates might prevents necrotizingprevent necrotizing enterocolitis, as well as and shorten the time of feeding onset and duration of hospitalization.not only to reach full oral nutrition, but also length of hospitalization.