Early Administration of Probiotics Alters Bacterial Colonization and Limits Diet-Induced Gut Dysfunction and Severity of Necrotizing Enterocolitis in Preterm Pigs

Following preterm birth, bacterial colonization and interal formula feeding predispose neonates to gut dysfunction and necrotizing enterocilitis (NEC), a serious gastrointestinal inflammatory disease. We hypothesized that administration of probiotics would beneficially influence early bacterial colonization, thereby reducing the susceptibility to formula-induced gut atrophy, dysfunction, and NEC. Caesarean-delivered preterm pigs were provided total parenteral nutrition (1.5 d) followed by enteral feeding (2d) with porcine colosstrum (COLOS; n= 5), formula (FORM; n = 9), or formula with probiotics (FORM-P, Bifidobacterium animalis and Lactobacillus: L. acidophilus, L. casei, L. pentosus, L. planterum; (n=13). Clinical NEC scores were reduced (P