title: Lactobacillus Sepsis and Probiotic Therapy in Newborns: Two New Cases and Literature Review.
abstract: Many term and preterm infants are commonly supplemented with probiotics to prevent adverse effects of antibiotic administration and necrotizing enterocolitis and they are believed to be safe. However, the supplementation with Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG has been associated with the development of sepsis with a cause-effect relationship in six newborns and children. In this study, we report two further cases and discuss the emerging issue of probiotic supplementation safety in neonates. We conclude that physicians must be aware that supplementation with L. rhamnosus GG can cause sepsis in high-risk patients on rare occasions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, Careggi University Hospital of Florence, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dani
authors.affiliation: Division of Neonatology, Careggi University Hospital of Florence, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Coviello C
authors.affiliation: Division of Neonatology, Careggi University Hospital of Florence, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Iuri
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Corsini I
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Arena
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Antonelli
authors.affiliation: Clinical Microbiology and Virology Unit, Careggi University Hospital of Florence, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Gian Maria
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Rossolini
keywords: infant; infection; lactobacillus; probiotics; sepsis