TABLE 1.
Characteristics of the subjects.
| M-16V group (n = 12) | Control group (n = 10) | P-value | |
| Maternal features | |||
| Age (years) | 34.0 ± 4.0 | 31.3 ± 3.3 | 0.100 |
| C-section (n, %) | 8 (66.7) | 9 (90) | 0.323 |
| Antibiotics during labor (n, %) | 10 (83.3) | 9 (90) | 1.000 |
| GBS test (n, %) | |||
| Positive | 1 (8.3) | 1 (10) | 1.000 |
| Negative | 8 (66.7) | 7 (70) | |
| Not done | 3 (25) | 2 (20) | |
| Neonatal features | |||
| Gestational age (weeks) | 31.0 ± 3.4 | 30.3 ± 2.4 | 0.613 |
| Birth weight (g) | 1350.5 ± 250.1 | 1096.3 ± 254.7 | 0.029* |
| Discharged weight (g) | 3430.3 ± 926.1 | 2630.0 ± 451.1 | 0.017* |
| Male (n, %) | 7 (58.3) | 3 (30) | 0.369 |
| Chronic lung disease | 1 (8.3) | 1 (10) | 1.000 |
| Antibiotics exposure (n, %) | 5 (41.7) | 3 (30) | 0.675 |
| Treatment for PDA | |||
| Clipping (n, %) | 1 (8.3) | 1 (10) | 0.814 |
| Indomethacin (n, %) | 3 (25) | 4 (40) | |
| Supplementation duration/hospitalization period (weeks) | 10.6 ± 4.6 | 10.9 ± 6.6 | 0.887 |
| Breast-feeding (%)† | 54.2 ± 39.6 | 45.0 ± 23.0 | 0.526 |
| Fecal sampling (weeks after discharge) | 6.4 ± 1.9 | 4.3 ± 1.3 | 0.009** |
| Postnatal age at the fecal sampling (weeks) | 17.0 ± 5.0 | 15.3 ± 6.8 | 0.509 |
| Corrected age at the fecal sampling (weeks) | 7.9 ± 2.8 | 5.5 ± 5.2 | 0.184 |
Measured variable data are expressed as the mean ± SD. Intergroup differences were analyzed using the χ2-test or Fisher’s exact test for categorical data and the unpaired Student’s t-test or Welch’s t-test for measured variables.*P < 0.05; **P < 0.01.
†Percentage of breast milk among the total nutrition (breast milk + infant formula), as surveyed by questionnaire. GBS, Group B Streptococcus; PDA, patent ductus arteriosus.