Table 4.
Risk factors for intestinal illness in infants diagnosed with NEC before and after initiation of probiotic supplementation in 2015.
| Pre-probiotic epoch (2011–2015) n = 14 | Post-probiotic epoch (2015–2020) n = 23 | Significance | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weight at diagnosis (g) | 1,778 (±237) | 1,687 (±216) | NS |
| DOL at diagnosis | 15.4 (±2.3) | 21.9 (±4.4) | NS |
| PMA at diagnosis | 32.8 (±1.1) | 32.5 (±1.1) | NS |
| Early onset sepsis (clinical + culture positive) (%) | 5 (36) | 15 (68) | p = 0.087 |
| Late onset sepsis (clinical + culture positive) (%) | 9 (64) | 14 (64) | NS |
| Total stools/day of life at diagnosis | 2.4 (±0.3) | 1.7 (±0.4) | NS |
| Total glycerins given/day of life at diagnosis | 0.07 (±0.03) | 0.08 (±0.03) | NS |
| hsPDA (%) | 3 (21) | 12 (55) | p = 0.083 |
| Method of hsPDA treatment | NS | ||
| Acetaminophen (%) | 1 (33) | 5 (28) | |
| Ibuprofen (%) | 1 (33) | 1 (6) | |
| Indomethacin (%) | 0 (0) | 7 (39) | |
| Ligation (%) | 1 (33) | 3 (17) | |
| Catheter closure (%) | 0 (33) | 2 (11) | |
| Hydrocortisone or dexamethasone within 3 days of diagnosis (%) | 0 (0) | 4 (19) | NS |
There were no significant differences between infants diagnosed with NEC in the post-probiotic epoch compared to the pre-probiotic epoch. There was a trend toward a higher rate of early onset sepsis and a higher percentage of infants with a diagnosis of hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus (hsPDA) in the post-probiotic epoch compared to the pre-probiotic epoch, but these trends did not reach statistical significance.