Summary:
Background and objective: Neonatal sepsis is associated with
increased mortality and morbidity of newborns. Moreover,
inability to tolerate enteral feeding contributes to prolonged
hospital stay and nosocomial sepsis. Probiotics confers health
benefit to host by altering the gut environment. This study
aimed at determining the efficacy of probiotics in reducing
nosocomial sepsis and feeding intolerance in hospitalized
low birth-weight infants.
Methods: A quasi experimental clinical trial to compare
between newborn infants getting probiotics along with breast
milk (experimental group) with those getting breast milk
only (non experimental group). Study was conducted from
June to December 2013 with a total of 49 newborns, weighing
1000 to 2000gm.
Results: In weight category 1000-1250 gm, 15.8% developed
culture proven sepsis in probiotics/experimental group (n=9)
and 10.5% in breast milk/non experimental group (n=10); p
value was 0.655. Feeding intolerance was developed in 10.6%
of the probiotics group and 31.5% of breast milk group, p
value was not significant but the mortality was significantly
lower among the probiotics group i.e., 5.3% in probiotics
group Vs 42.1% in breast milk group (p 0.018). Between weight
range of 1250-1500 gm, sepsis and feeding intolerance showed
no significant differences (p value 0.305 & 0.305 respectively)
but mortality differed significantly (0% probiotics group Vs
20% breast milk group; p 0.043). In weight range 1500-2000
gm, the result was not statistically significant for sepsis (p
value 0.292), feeding intolerance (p value 0.292) and mortality
(p value 0.292). Mortality was significantly lower in two weight
categories (1000-1250 gm & 1250-1500 gm) and hence the
overall result showed significant difference in the statistical
analysis (p value 0.001).There were no differences either in
nosocomial sepsis or feeding intolerance between the probiotics
group and the breast milk group.
Conclusion: Probiotics does not have any impact in reducing
nosocomial infection and feeding intolerance but the use of
probiotics seems to reduce mortality especially in the lower
weight category.
Key words: Probiotics, nosocomial sepsis, feeding intolerance.
(J Bangladesh Coll Phys Surg 2018; 36: 48-52 )