Cell: Probiotic supplements help develop mature microbiota in extremely premature infants

Researchers at the University of Calgary have found that probiotic supplements can help develop healthy microbiomes in the youngest infants born without a fully developed gut microbio.

"These are the youngest premature babies who spend the first few months of their lives in neonatal intensive care," said .

The randomized clinical trial, conducted in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Foothills Medical Center, included infants born at less than 29 weeks gestation with a birth weight of less than 1.

"The gut microbiome is a complex society containing diverse species of microorganisms that contribute to important aspects of the immune system, including fighting pathogens and preventing immune diseases such as asthma and type 1 diabetes," said .

When babies are born prematurely, they experience many factors that affect microbiome development, such as the near-universal use of life-saving antibiotics, which are known to alter the microbio.

While research has shown that probiotics can improve immune and digestive health in premature infants, Alshaikh said more research is still needed to determine the best probiotic mix and confirm the safety of existing commercial produc.

Many of the babies in this study were part of a larger study of premature babies led by Arita and her team: the Alberta Bloom Stu.

The findings were published in the journal Cell Host and Micro.

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Supplementation with a probiotic mixture accelerates gut microbiome maturation and reduces intestinal inflammation in extremely preterm infants