Study: Probiotics Can Help Save the Lives of Preterm Infants

16 Dec 2013 --- A newly published study in the acknowledged scientific journal Pediatrics has showed that daily intake of Chr. Hansen’s probiotics more than halved the risk of the deadly stomach disease necrotizing enterocolitis Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). NEC is a very serious condition, where parts of the intestine may undergo tissue death.

It mainly affects premature infants and may cause severe and even fatal complications. 6-7% of premature babies in neonatal intensive care units can be affected by NEC and approx. 25% of babies with the condition don't survive1.

Including 1,100 premature infants, the international study coordinated by Associate Professor Sue Jacobs and Professor Suzanne Garland at the Royal Women's Hospital in Melbourne, Australia is the largest within this indication to date. “It is a very well-designed, large-scale study and I consider this extremely strong data within an important indication,” says Chr. Hansen’s Dorte Eskesen, Senior Scientific Advisor, Health & Nutrition Division. “I am impressed that the study team managed to conduct a study of this size in vulnerable infants in neonatal intensive care units.”

The study tested Chr. Hansen’s probiotic strains Bifidobacterium lactis BB-12®, Streptococcus thermophilus TH-4 and Bifidobacterium infantis BB-02, in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter study. And the beneficial effect of these probiotics was convincing.

The study findings were significant and truly encouraging. Babies that received the probiotic mixture had half the risk of developing NEC compared to babies that received placebo. Thus, the study verifies what previous studies have concluded, that specific probiotics play an important role in reducing NEC. The study demonstrates that the three probiotic strains can greatly benefit the lives of families with premature babies. Other clinical studies have shown that these probiotics effectively alleviate diarrhea and infections as well as support a healthy development of the infant microbiota.

Christian Barker, Executive Vice President, Health & Nutrition Division is very pleased with the study results: “We have a strong focus on infant health and support research initiatives that will enable us to make New study: probiotics can help save the lives of preterm infants continuous advancements. The study findings are remarkable. From a commercial point of view, however, NEC is a small area compared to other indications such as functional bowel disorders and diarrhea. Nonetheless, it is encouraging receiving this type of confirmation that Chr. Hansen’s probiotics make a difference for such a serious condition as NEC.”

Read Jacobs et al.’s study article “Probiotic Effects on Late-onset Sepsis in Very Preterm Infants: A Randomized Controlled Trial” in the December 2013 issue of Pediatrics:
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/current
1Shlomai et al. “Probiotics for Preterm Neonates: What Will It Take to Change Clinical Practice?”, Neonatology 2014;105:64-70 (published online November 23, 2013)