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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2018 Nov 13;18(1):184.
doi: 10.1186/s12866-018-1326-1.

Gut microbiota of preterm infants supplemented with probiotics: sub-study of the ProPrems trial

Erica L Plummer  1   2 , Dieter M Bulach  3   4   5 , Gerald L Murray  6   7   3 , Susan E Jacobs  6   7   4 , Sepehr N Tabrizi  6   7   4   8 , Suzanne M Garland  6   7   4   8 ; ProPrems Study Group
Collaborators, Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Gut microbiota of preterm infants supplemented with probiotics: sub-study of the ProPrems trial

Erica L Plummer et al. BMC Microbiol. .

Abstract

Background: The ProPrems trial, a multi-center, double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized trial, previously reported a 54% reduction in necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) of Bell stage 2 or more from 4.4 to 2.0% in 1099 infants born before 32 completed weeks' gestation and weighing < 1500 g, receiving probiotic supplementation (with Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis BB-02, Streptococcus thermophilus TH-4 and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12). This sub-study investigated the effect of probiotic supplementation on the gut microbiota in a cohort of very preterm infants in ProPrems.

Results: Bifidobacterium was found in higher abundance in infants who received the probiotics (AOR 17.22; 95% CI, 3.49-84.99, p < 0.001) as compared to the placebo group, and Enterococcus was reduced in infants receiving the probiotic during the supplementation period (AOR 0.27; 95% CI, 0.09-0.82, p = 0.02).

Conclusion: Probiotic supplementation with BB-02, TH-4 and BB-12 from soon after birth increased the abundance of Bifidobacterium in the gut microbiota of very preterm infants. Increased abundance of Bifidobacterium soon after birth may be associated with reducing the risk of NEC in very preterm infants.

Keywords: Gut microbiota; Necrotizing enterocolitis; Probiotics; Very preterm infants.

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Conflict of interest statement

Ethics approval and consent to participate

The ProPrems study was approved by The Royal Women’s Hospital (Melbourne) Human Research and Ethics Committees, and specimens were collected after obtaining written informed consent from parents or guardians.

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Compares the percent abundance of specific genera between the probiotic and placebo infants. The 12 genera included had a mean abundance of at least 1% in one (or both) allocation group and were included in the regression analysis. Bacteria not included in the regression analysis are grouped under “Other bacteria”
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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