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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, November 2006, p. 4025-4031, Vol. 44, No. 11
0095-1137/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JCM.00767-06
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Effects of Bifidobacterium lactis Bb12 Supplementation on Intestinal Microbiota of Preterm Infants: a Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Randomized Study

Department of Gastrointestinal Microbiology,¹ Dietary Fibre and the Metabolic Syndrome Group, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Arthur-Scheunert-Allee 114-116, 14558 Nuthetal, Germany,² Klinik für Kinder und Jugendliche, Klinikum Ernst von Bergmann, Charlottenstraße 72, D-14467 Potsdam, Germany,³ Nestlé Nutrition, Lyoner Strasse 23, 60528 Frankfurt/Main, Germany⁴

Received 11 April 2006/ Returned for modification 22 June 2006/ Accepted 1 September 2006

The gastrointestinal microbiota of preterm infants in a neonatal intensive care unit differs from that of term infants. In particular, the colonization of preterm infants by bifidobacteria is delayed. A double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical study was performed on 69 preterm infants to investigate the role of Bifidobacterium lactis Bb12 supplementation in modifying the gut microbiota. Both culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches were used to study the gut microbiota. Bifidobacterial numbers, determined by fluorescence in situ hybridization, were significantly higher in the probiotic than in the placebo group (log₁₀ values per g of fecal wet weight: probiotic, 8.18 + 0.54 [standard error of the mean]; placebo, 4.82 + 0.51; P < 0.001). A similar trend for bifidobacterial numbers was also obtained with the culture-dependent method. The infants supplemented with Bb12 also had lower viable counts of Enterobacteriaceae (log₁₀ values of CFU per g of fecal wet weight: probiotic, 7.80 + 0.34; placebo, 9.03 + 0.35; P = 0.015) and Clostridium spp. (probiotic, 4.89 + 0.30; placebo, 5.99 + 0.32; P = 0.014) than the infants in the placebo group. Supplementation of B. lactis Bb12 did not reduce the colonization by antibiotic-resistant organisms in the study population. However, the probiotic supplementation increased the cell counts of bifidobacteria and reduced the cell counts of enterobacteria and clostridia.

Published ahead of print on 13 September 2006.

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