Table 2. Principal findings in the three groups of infants.
| Parameters | L. reuteri (I) | L. rhamnosus (II) | Control (III) | P-value <0.05 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | <1500 g | >1500 g | ||||
| No. of newborns | 83 | 83 | 83 | — | — | — |
| No. of infants with gastrointestinal symptoms | 3 | 29 | 36 | I vs II I vs III | NS | I vs II I vs III |
| No. of infants feeding hydrolyzed milk | 0 | 7 | 14 | I vs II I vs III II vs III | NS | I vs II I vs III |
| Days of parenteral nutrition (mean±s.d.) | 6.8±5.4 | 13.0±10.5 | 13.5±11.6 | I vs II I vs III | I vs II | I vs II I vs III |
| Days to achieve the energy quotient (kcal 100/kg × os) (mean±s.d.) | 6.8±4.1 | 11.3±6.8 | 11.3±8.1 | I vs II I vs III | I vs II | I vs II I vs III |
| Days of antibiotic treatment (mean±s.d.) | 3.4 ±2.2 | 5.8±3.8 | 6.9±4.5 | I vs II I vs III | I vs II I vs III | I vs II I vs III |
| No. of infants with bacterial infections | 0 | 1 | 5 | NS | NS | NS |
| Stool fungal high colonization (CFU per g>104) | 6 | 9 | 19 | I vs III II vs III | NS | I vs III |
| Number of infants with mycotic infections | 1 | 1 | 4 | NS | NS | NS |
| Days of antimycotic treatment (mean±s.d.) | 0.2±2 | 0.2±2 | 1.4±6.4 | NS | NS | NS |
| Days of hospitalization (mean±s.d.) | 17.8±7.9 | 26.9±15.7 | 31.3±16.3 | I vs II I vs III | I vs II I vs III | I vs II I vs III |
Abbreviations: CFU, colony-forming unit; L. reuteri, Lactobacillus reuteri; L. rhamnosus; Lactobacillus rhamnosus; NS, not significant.