Probiotics Decrease Morbidity and Mortality in Preemies

Investigators from multiple institutions conducted a meta-analysis to assess the effectiveness of various single-strain and multi-strain probiotic formulations in preventing morbidity and mortality in preterm infants. Investigators used several databases (eg, Medline, Embase, Scopus) to identify randomized controlled trials through January 1, 2019 that featured single- or multiple-strain probiotics for prevention of morbidity and mortality in infants <37 weeks gestation and/or infants with a birth weight <2,500 grams. For each eligible study, reviewers extracted details of the intervention (eg, probiotics species and strains) and outcomes, particularly all-cause mortality, severe necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC, defined as stage II or greater based on Bell’s criteria), number of days to reach full feeding, and duration of hospitalization. Investigators aggregated the data …