Table 1.
Effect of probiotic supplementation during neonatal period: Subgroup analysis
| Outcome or subgroup | No. of studies | Effect estimate: relative risk | Test for subgroup difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All‐cause mortality: subgroup analysis: settings | |||
| Hospital based | 22 | 0.78 [0.65, 0.94] | p = .31 |
| Community based | 3 | 1.25 [0.51, 3.05] | I 2 = 0% |
| All‐cause mortality: subgroup analysis: type of probiotics | |||
| Preparation contain a single strain of probiotics | 9 | 0.80 [0.61, 1.05] | p = .95 |
| Preparation contained multiple strains of probiotics | 12 | 0.80 [0.58, 1.09] | I 2 = 0% |
| Preparation contained synbiotics (prebiotics + probiotics) | 5 | 0.69 [0.29, 1.61] | |
| All‐cause mortality: subgroup analysis: type of participants | |||
| Study include preterm/low birth weight babies | 24 | 0.79 [0.65, 0.95] | p = .47 |
| Study included term infants only | 1 | 1.38 [0.31, 6.08] | I 2 = 0% |
| All‐cause mortality: subgroup analysis: type of feedings | |||
| Baby received breastmilk only | 14 | 0.81 [0.62, 1.05] | p = .44 |
| Baby received formula milk only | 1 | 1.38 [0.31, 6.08] | |
| Baby received both both breastmilk and formula milk | 8 | 0.69 [0.48, 0.99] | I 2 = 0% |
| Type of feeding was unclear | 3 | 1.33 [0.63, 2.81] | |
| All‐cause mortality: subgroup analysis: probiotics preparation | |||
| Preparation contained Lactobacillus | 10 | 0.82 [0.63, 1.05] | p = .47 |
| Preparation contained Bifidobacterium | 1 | 0.43 [0.17, 1.09] | |
| Preparation contained both Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium | 13 | 0.71 [0.47, 1.08] | I 2 = 0% |
| Preparation contained Saccharomyces boulardii only | 2 | 1.12 [0.46, 2.71] | |
| Necrotizing enterocolitis: subgroup analysis: probiotic preparation | |||
| Preparation contained Lactobacillus | 13 | 0.39 [0.25, 0.61] | p = .05 |
| Preparation contained Bifidobacterium | 1 | 0.20 [0.09, 0.47] | |
| Preparation contained both Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium | 14 | 0.49 [0.36, 0.68] | |
| I 2 = 60.5% | |||
| Preparation contained S. boulardii only | 2 | 0.94 [0.45, 1.95] | |
| Necrotizing enterocolitis: subgroup analysis: type of feeding | |||
| Baby received breastmilk only | 13 | 0.43 [0.31, 0.59] | p = .74 |
| Baby received formula only | 1 | 0.21 [0.03, 1.76] | |
| Baby received both breastmilk and formula milk | 9 | 0.55 [0.33, 0.92] | I 2 = 0% |
| Type of feeding was unclear | 7 | 0.41 [0.17, 1.00] | |
| Necrotizing enterocolitis: subgroup analysis: type of probiotics | |||
| Preparation contained a single strain of probiotics | 12 | 0.48 [0.30, 0.76] | p= .50 |
| Preparation contained multiple strains of probiotics | 15 | 0.48 [0.35, 0.67] | I 2 = 0% |
| Preparation contained synbiotics (prebiotics + probiotics) | 3 | 0.28 [0.12, 0.67] | |
| Neonatal sepsis: subgroup analysis: probiotic preparation | |||
| Preparation contained Lactobacillus | 11 | 0.74 [0.62, 0.87] | p = .79 |
| Preparation contained Bifidobacterium | 1 | 0.81 [0.60, 1.09] | |
| Preparation contained both Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus | 6 | 0.83 [0.68, 1.02] | I 2 = 0% |
| Preparation contained S. boulardii only | 3 | 0.73 [0.57, 0.94] | |
| Neonatal sepsis: subgroup analysis: type of feeding | |||
| Baby received breastmilk only | 8 | 0.71 [0.61, 0.83] | p = .04 |
| Baby received formula milk only | 2 | 0.59 [0.22, 1.56] | |
| Baby received both formula and breastmilk only | 6 | 0.77 [0.65, 0.90] | I 2 = 65% |
| Type of feeding was unclear | 4 | 0.95 [0.82, 1.09] | |
| Neonatal sepsis: type of probiotics | |||
| Preparation contained single strain of probiotics | 8 | 0.84 [0.74, 0.96] | p = .21 |
| Preparation contained multiple strains of probiotics | 9 | 0.81 [0.68, 0.97] | |
| I 2 = 35% | |||
| Preparation contained synbiotics (prebiotics + probiotics) | 4 | 0.67 [0.54, 0.83] | |
| Neonatal sepsis: subgroup analysis: settings | |||
| Hospital based | 19 | 0.83 [0.76, 0.91] | p = .19 |
| Community based | 2 | 0.67 [0.49, 0.91] | I 2 = 42% |