Probiotic Use in Preterm Neonates: A Review and Bibliometric Analysis

Abstract Background: Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a major health burden in peterm neonates with mortality rates between 21% and 50%. Prophylaxis is of primary importance as early diagnosis is hindered by the lack of specific signs and laboratory markers. Although probiotics have been routinely used for NEC prophylaxis in neonatal intensive care units around the world, clinical trials provide contradictory data, which fuels an ongoing debate about their efficacy and safety. Aims: To perform a review and bibliometric analysis on available clinical trials and case reports data on the safety and efficacy of probiotics in preterm neonates and identify relevant publication trends and patterns. Methods: A bibliometric search for publications on the topic was performed in the Web of Science Core Collection database and the resulting records analyzed in bibliometrix package in R. Results: Trends in publication activity, historical direct citation network relationships and keyword co-ocurrences were discussed in the context of the most recent therapeutic recommendations. Conclusion: We took a round view of the potential drawbacks to probiotic use in preterm infants and their possible solutions.