Background: Necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) is a devastating bowel disease that primarily occurs in infants born prematurely and is associated with abnormal gut microbiome development. While gut microbiome compositions associated with NEC have been well studied, there is a lack of experimental work investigating microbiota functions and their associations with disease onset. The aim of this pilot study was to characterise the metabolic functionality of the preterm gut microbiome prior to the onset of NEC compared with healthy controls.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNecrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a severe intestinal disease of very preterm infants with mother's own milk (MOM) providing protection, but the contribution of the MOM microbiota to NEC risk has not been explored. Here, we analyze MOM of 110 preterm infants (48 NEC, 62 control) in a cross-sectional study. Breast milk contains viable bacteria, but there is no significant difference in MOM microbiota between NEC and controls.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMeta-analysis of probiotic administration to very preterm or very low birthweight (VP/VLBW) infants shows reduced risk of necrotising enterocolitis (NEC). Separately reported outcomes for extremely preterm infants (<28 weeks) or extremely low birth weight infants (<1000 g) (EP/ELBW) are lacking meaning some clinicians do not administer probiotics to EP/ELBW infants despite their high risk of NEC. We present data showing the gut microbiome is impacted in EP/ELBW infants in a similar manner to VP/VLBW infants, suggesting that risk reduction for necrotising enterocolitis that is microbiome driven will also be seen in EP/ELBW infants, making probiotic administration beneficial.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVirulence and metabolism are often interlinked to control the expression of essential colonisation factors in response to host-associated signals. Here, we identified an uncharacterised transporter of the dietary monosaccharide ʟ-arabinose that is widely encoded by the zoonotic pathogen enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC), required for full competitive fitness in the mouse gut and highly expressed during human infection. Discovery of this transporter suggested that EHEC strains have an enhanced ability to scavenge ʟ-arabinose and therefore prompted us to investigate the impact of this nutrient on pathogenesis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To determine the impact of supplemental bovine lactoferrin on the gut microbiome and metabolome of preterm infants.
Design: Cohort study nested within a randomised controlled trial (RCT). Infants across different trial arms were matched on several clinical variables.
The development of the gut microbiome from birth plays important roles in short- and long-term health, but factors influencing preterm gut microbiome development are poorly understood. In the present study, we use metagenomic sequencing to analyse 1,431 longitudinal stool samples from 123 very preterm infants (<32 weeks' gestation) who did not develop intestinal disease or sepsis over a study period of 10 years. During the study period, one cohort had no probiotic exposure whereas two cohorts were given different probiotic products: Infloran (Bifidobacterium bifidum and Lactobacillus acidophilus) or Labinic (B.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: IgA and its secretory form sIgA impact protection from infection and necrotising enterocolitis but little is known about quantities in preterm mums own milk (MOM) or infant stool, onset of endogenous production in the preterm gut, and what affects these.
Methods: We measured by ELISA in MOM and stool from healthy preterm infants total IgA and sIgA longitudinally and additionally in MOM fresh, refrigerated, frozen, and after traversing feeding systems.
Results: In 42 MOM (median gestation 26 weeks), we showed total IgA levels and sIgA were highest in colostrum, fell over 3 weeks, and were not impacted by gestation.
Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed
July 2022
Objective: To compare necrotising enterocolitis (NEC), late-onset sepsis (LOS), focal intestinal perforation (FIP) and mortality in infants from a single neonatal unit before and after probiotic introduction.
Design: Retrospective review of infants <32 weeks admitted January 2009-December 2012 (no probiotic) and January 2013-December 2017 (routine probiotics). Infants included were admitted before day 3, and not transferred out before day 3.
: At birth, the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is colonized by a complex community of microorganisms, forming the basis of the gut microbiome. The gut microbiome plays a fundamental role in host health, disorders of which can lead to an array of GI diseases, both short and long term. Pediatric GI diseases are responsible for significant morbidity and mortality, but many remain poorly understood.
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