Saccharomyces boulardii for prevention of necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm infants: a randomized, controlled study. (December 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Demirel, Gamze; Erdeve, Omer; Celik, Istemi Han; Dilmen, Ugur
• Is Part Of: Acta pædiatrica. Volume 102:Number 12(2013:Dec.)
• Page Start: e560
• Page End: e565
• Publication Date: 2013-12
• Subjects: Pediatrics -- Periodicals; Pediatrics; 618.92
• DOI: 10.1111/apa.12416
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0803-5253

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="apa12416-abs-0001"> <title>Abstract</title> <sec id="apa12416-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Aim</title> <p>To evaluate the efficacy of orally administered <italic>Saccharomyces boulardii</italic> (<italic>S. boulardii</italic>) for reducing the incidence and severity of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in very low‐birth‐weight (VLBW) infants.</p> </sec> <sec id="apa12416-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Methods</title> <p>A prospective, randomised controlled trial was conducted in infants with gestational age ≤32 weeks and birth weight ≤1500 g. The study group received <italic>S. boulardii</italic> supplementation, and the control group did not. The primary outcomes were death or NEC (Bell's stage ≥2), and secondary outcomes were feeding intolerance and clinical or culture‐proven sepsis.</p> </sec> <sec id="apa12416-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>A total of 271 infants were enrolled in the study, 135 in the study group and 136 in the control group. There was no significant difference in the incidence of death (3.7% vs. 3.6%, 95% CI of the difference, −5.20–5.25; p<italic> </italic>=<italic> </italic>1.0) or NEC (4.4% vs. 5.1%, 95% CI, −0.65–5.12; p =<italic> </italic>1.0) between the groups. However, feeding intolerance and clinical sepsis were significantly lower in the probiotic group compared with control.</p> </sec> <sec id="apa12416-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusion</title> <p>Although <italic>Saccharomyces boulardii</italic> supplementation at a dose of 250 mg/day was not effective at reducing the incidence of death or NEC in VLBW infants, it improved feeding tolerance and reduced the risk of clinical sepsis.</p> </sec> </abstract>