title: Effect of Bifidobacterium breve M-16V supplementation on faecal bifidobacteria in growth restricted very preterm infants - analysis from a randomised trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Gut development, function and colonisation are impaired in animal models of prematurity with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). The effect of Bifidobacterium breve (B. breve) supplementation on faecal bifidobacteria in small for gestational age (SGA: birth weight <10th centile due to IUGR) preterm infants is not known.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We compared B. breve M-16V supplementation effect on faecal bifidobacteria in preterm (<33 weeks) SGA versus non-SGA infants in the two arms of our randomised controlled trial.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no baseline differences in the proportion of detectable B. breve counts between SGA versus non-SGA infants [probiotic: 7 (33%) versus 22 (42%), p = 0.603; placebo: 1 (6%) versus 1 (2%), p = 0.429]. B. breve counts did not differ between SGA and non-SGA infants in response to treatment (p = 0.589), after adjusting for baseline count (p < 0.001) and treatment allocation (p < 0.001). An interaction term between growth status and treatment showed negligible change (p = 0.938). Probiotic treated SGA infants reached full feeds earlier than SGA controls (HR 2.00, 95% CI 1.05-3.82, p = 0.035): Median (IQR): 16 (12-26) versus 19 (11-25) days, after adjustment for age at starting feeds and gestation <28 weeks.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Response to B. breve M-16V supplementation was not significantly different in preterm (<33 weeks) SGA versus non-SGA infants.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Neonatal Paediatrics , King Edward Memorial Hospital for Women , Perth , Australia .|b Centre for Neonatal Research and Education, University of Western Australia , Perth , Australia .
authors.forename: Sanjay K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Patole
authors.affiliation: c PathWest Laboratory Medicine Western Australia , Perth , Australia .
authors.forename: Anthony D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Keil
authors.affiliation: d Women and Infants Research Foundation, King Edward Memorial Hospital for Women , Perth , Australia .|e School of Women's and Infants' Health, University of Western Australia , Perth , Australia , and.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nathan
authors.affiliation: d Women and Infants Research Foundation, King Edward Memorial Hospital for Women , Perth , Australia .|e School of Women's and Infants' Health, University of Western Australia , Perth , Australia , and.
authors.forename: Dorota
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Doherty
authors.affiliation: f Centre for Marine Bio-Innovation (CMB), University of New South Wales , Sydney , Australia.
authors.forename: Meera
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Esvaran
authors.affiliation: a Department of Neonatal Paediatrics , King Edward Memorial Hospital for Women , Perth , Australia .|b Centre for Neonatal Research and Education, University of Western Australia , Perth , Australia .
authors.forename: Karen N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Simmer
authors.affiliation: f Centre for Marine Bio-Innovation (CMB), University of New South Wales , Sydney , Australia.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Conway
mesh_terms: D058491:Bacterial Load; D000069984:Bifidobacterium breve; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000628:therapy; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D062071:Infant, Extremely Premature; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D019936:Probiotics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
keywords: Bifidobacterium breve; growth restriction; preterm