the effect of probiotics in prevention of necrotising enterocolitis in preterm neonates in comparison with control group

Background: necrotizing enterocolitis (nec) is a common dangerous gastrointestinal emergency in neonatology, especially in premature infants, which can cause serious problems. objectives: this study was conducted to find out whether administration of probiotics could lead to prevention and/or treatment of nec. methods: 115 premature newborns weighting 750 - 1500 g or less than 32 weeks’ gestation were checked daily for nec signs and weight gain and mean day of full feed achievement was recorded. results: the incidence of nec and c-reactive protein (crp) rise showed a significant difference (p = 0.02) between the two (case and control) groups, but the difference regarding mean duration of oxygen therapy, tpn, full feeding achievement, and hospitalization was not significant. conclusions: these results showed positive effects of probiotics on preventing and treating nec, especially nec grade 3 in elbw and vlbw neonates.