Table 2.
Changes in fecal microbiota counts and prevalence in preterm infants during the first 8 weeks after birth
| Meconium |
Week 1 |
Week 2 |
Week 4 |
Week 8 |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BBG-01 (14)* counta, % | placebo (14) count, % | BBG-01 (11) count, % | placebo (12) count, % | BBG-01 (16) count, % | placebo (15) count, % | BBG-01 (17) count, % | placebo (18) count, % | BBG-01 (15) count, % | placebo (15) count, % | |
| Total bacteria | 6.9±2.5 (79) | 7.0±2.2 (86) | 9.4±1.4b (100) | 8.3±1.7 (100) | 9.9±0.7 (100) | 8.8±1.9 (100) | 10.0±0.6b (100) | 9.3±0.9 (100) | 10.1±0.5 (100) | 9.7±0.8 (100) |
| Obligate anaerobes | ||||||||||
| Clostridium coccoides group | ND (0) | ND (0) | ND (0) | ND (0) | ND (0) | ND (0) | ND (0) | ND (0) | ND (0) | ND (0) |
| Clostridium leptum subgroup | ND (0) | 5.3±0.1 (14) | ND (0) | 5.3 (17) | 5.4 (6) | 5.3 (7) | 6.4 (6) | 5.5 (6) | 5.8±0.3 (27) | 5.9±0.6 (20) |
| Bacteroides fragilis group | ND (0) | ND (0) | ND (0) | ND (0) | ND (0) | ND (0) | ND (0) | ND (0) | ND (0) | ND (0) |
| Bifidobacterium | 7.7±2.1 (21) | ND (0) | 9.0±1.5 (91)cc | 9.9 (8) | 9.6±1.0 (100)cc | 10.5±0.5 (27) | 9.4±1.1 (100)cc | 8.7±2.4 (22) | 9.4±1.7 (93)cc | 9.4±1.1 (60) |
| Atopobium cluster | ND (0) | ND (0) | ND (0) | ND (0) | ND (0) | ND (0) | ND (0) | ND (0) | ND (0) | ND (0) |
| Prevotella | ND (0) | ND (0) | 5.2 (9) | 5.4 (8) | 5.3 (6) | ND (0) | 5.6 (12) | ND (0) | ND (0) | 5.5 (7) |
| Clostridium perfringens | ND (0) | ND (0) | ND (0) | ND (0) | ND (0) | ND (0) | ND (0) | ND (0) | ND (0) | ND (0) |
| Clostridium difficile | ND (0) | ND (0) | ND (0) | 7.8 (8) | ND (0) | ND (0) | ND (0) | ND (0) | ND (0) | 5.2 (13) |
| Facultative anaerobes | ||||||||||
| Enterobacteriaceae | 7.8±1.7 (36) | 7.8±2.0 (50) | 8.8±1.2 (64) | 7.6±1.9 (83) | 8.0±1.4 (63) | 8.1±1.5 (67) | 8.8±1.4 (88) | 8.2±1.9 (89) | 9.2±1.1 (87) | 9.3±0.9 (93) |
| Enterococcus | 6.8±3.2 (29) | 9.2 (14) | 8.3±1.4 (55) | 8.2±2.0 (50) | 7.9±2.0 (56) | 7.7±2.2 (33) | 8.5±1.5 (59) | 7.9±2.1 (67) | 7.0±1.9 (53) | 7.7±1.7 (80) |
| Staphylococcus | 5.5±1.5 (64) | 5.5±1.7 (64) | 7.6±1.4 (100) | 7.0±1.5 (100) | 7.3±1.6 (100) | 7.6±1.6 (100) | 7.5±1.0 (100) | 7.3±1.0 (100) | 7.2±1.0 (100) | 6.9±1.3 (100) |
| Lactobacillus | 3.3±0.7 (21) | 3.3 (14) | 4.6 (9) | 3.8 (17) | 3.5±1.1 (25) | 4.1 (13) | 3.9 (6) | 4.4±1.2 (22) | 3.9±0.5 (20) | 4.8±2.1 (27) |
| Aerobes | ||||||||||
| Pseudomonas | 4.2 (7) | ND (0) | 5.7 (18) | 4.2 (8) | 4.2 (13) | 4.0 (7) | 4.4±0.5 (18) | 5.1±0.7 (17) | 4.1 (7) | 5.7±0.8 (20) |
| Administered bacteria | ||||||||||
| Bifidobacterium breve strain Yakult | 7.1 (7) | ND (0) | 8.5±0.8 (91)cc | ND (0) | 8.8±0.8 (100)cc | 9.7 (13) | 8.7±0.7 (100)cc | 9.2 (6) | 8.4±1.0 (87)cc | 9.1±0.7 (27) |
Preterm infants with a birth weight <1,500 g. ND, not detected.
*
For all columns: number of samples examined (%; bacterial detection rate).
a
For all columns: log10 cells/g feces, mean ± SD (SD is not presented for bacteria detected in 2 subjects or fewer).
b
p < 0.05 (vs. placebo), two-tailed non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test.
cc
p < 0.01 (vs. placebo), two-tailed Fisher's exact probability test.