title: Probiotics for Promoting Feed Tolerance in Very Low Birth Weight Neonates - A Randomized Controlled Trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To measure the efficacy of a probiotic formulation on time to reach full enteral feeds in VLBW (very low birth weight) newborns.
  
  
  METHODS
  Blinded randomized control trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  A tertiary care neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in Southern India between August 2012 to November 2013.
  
  
  METHODS
  104 newborns with a birth weight of 750-1499 g on enteral feeds.
  
  
  METHODS
  Probiotic group (n=52) received a multicomponent probiotic formulation of Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Bifidobacterium longum and Saccharomyces boulardii once a day at a dose of 1.25×109 CFU from the time of initiation of enteral feeds till discharge and the control group (n=52) received only breast milk.
  
  
  METHODS
  Time to reach full enteral feeds (150 mL/kg/day).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean (SD) time to reach full enteral feeding was 11.2 (8.3) days in probiotic vs. 12.7 (8.9) in no probiotic group; (P=0.4), and was not significantly different between the two study groups. There was a trend towards lower necrotizing enterocolitis in the probiotic group (4% vs. 12%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Probiotic supplementation does not seem to result in significant improvement of feed tolerance in VLBW newborns.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neonatology, St John's Medical College, Bangalore, India. Correspondence to: Dr Shashidhar A, Assistant Professor, Department of Neonatology, St. John's Medical College, Sarjapur Road, Bangalore 34, Karnataka, India. shashiishere@gmail.com.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shashidhar
authors.forename: P N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Suman Rao
authors.forename: Saudamini
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nesargi
authors.forename: Swarnarekha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bhat
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Chandrakala
mesh_terms: D001644:Bifidobacterium; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004750:Enteral Nutrition; D020345:Enterocolitis, Necrotizing; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; D007778:Lactobacillus; D008297:Male; D019936:Probiotics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome