Table 3.

Follow-up data according to prophylactic use of Lactobacillus acidophilus/Bifidobacterium infantis probiotics.

Clinical characteristics	All infants Without probiotics	All infants with probiotics	p	28–32 weeks without probiotics	28–32 weeks with probiotics	p
No. of infants	54	120		23	46
Gestational age (weeks)	27.5 (2.3)	27.6 (2.3)	0.9*	29.7 (1.3)	30.0 (1.4)	0.5*
Body weight (g) at birth	940290	964297	0.1*	1157251	1202278	0.1*
Body weight (kg) at 5yr-F/U z-score	16.9 (2.4) −0.93/−0.91 (1.03)	18.0 (3.5) −0.43/−0.63 (1.4)	0.08* 0.06*	17.1 (2.9) −0.89/−1.19 (1.23)	18.5 (3.1) −0.21/−0.52 (1.22)	0.1* 0.06*
Head circumference (cm) at 5 yr F/U; z-score	49.5 (2.1) −1.39 (−1.33, 1.73)	50.2 (1.8) −0.71 (−0.0, 1.35)	0.009* 0.006*	50.1 (2.2) −0.94 (−1, 1.67)	50.3 (1.6) −0.56/−0.69 (1.15)	0.2* 0.2*
Body length (cm) at 5 yr F/U z-score	108.7 (5.2) −0.56/−0.60 (1.08)	110.3 (5.6) −0.21/−0.35 (1.13)	0.09* 0.2*	107.9 (6.1) −0.83/−0.51 (1.17)	110.8 (5.8) −0.06/−0.35 (1.13)	0.09* 0.05*
Episodes with upper respiratory tract infection at 2 yr F/U no. of infants [mean (SD) GA, weeks)] mean number of episodes (SD)	333 [28.9 (2.5)] 3.0 (2.3)	819 [28.3 (2.3)] 2.8 (2.3)	0.1*	228 [28.9 (2.5)] 3.2 (2.3)	496 [28.9 (2.5)] 2.8 (2.4)	0.02*
Atopic dermatitis at 2 yr F/U (%)	10.3	13.5	0.3	9.8	12.7	0.3

Legend: Continuous variables are shown as mean (SD); z-scores are shown as mean/median (SD). Categorical variables are shown as percent. p-values were derived from Fisher’s exact test or Mann-Whitney-U test if indicated (*), SGA, small for gestational age (<10th percentile of birth weight adjusted to gestational age). Growth velocity and weight gain were calculated by differences between parameters at birth and respective measures at discharge/number of days (duration of stay).