Table 1.
Clinical trials of probiotics to prevent NEC
| Studies | Choice of probiotics | Total subjects |
Design | Results, incidence of NEC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hoyos [57] |
Lactobacillus acidophilus,
Bifidobacterium infantis |
1,237 | Non-RCT, mean GA = 37 wks | 2.7 versus 6.6% (p < 0.0002) |
| Dani et al. [58] | Lactobacillus GG | 585 | DB-RCT, GA < 33 wks or BW < 1,500 g | 1.4 versus 2.7% (NS) |
| Bin-Nun et al. [59] |
Bifidobacterium infantis,
Streptococcus thermophilus, Bifidobacterium bifidus |
145 | RCT, BW < 1,500 g | 4 versus 16.4% (p = 0.03) |
| Lin et al. [60] |
Lactobacillus acidophilus,
Bifidobacterium bifidus |
434 | DB-RCT, BW < 1,500 g | 1.8 versus 6.4% (p < 0.05) |
DB double blind, RCT randomized controlled trial, GA gestational age at birth, BW birth weight, wks weeks, g gram