Selection of a probiotic to prevent necrotizing enterocolitis for preterm infants in a French neonatology department.

ABSTRACT

Very premature and/or low-birth-weight infants are at risk of developing necrotizing ulcerative enterocolitis (NEC). Prophylactic use of probiotics would change the composition of the gut microbiota and thus reduce the risk of NEC. In order to choose a probiotic at the local level, international recommendations were compared, and the available specialties were listed. Discrepancies between the different recommendations appeared, and the great variability of infant specialties available, as well as their status, did not allow us to select one. The local objective will therefore be to participate in the discussion of this subject at a national level.