Effect of Antibiotic Use Within First 48 Hours of Life on the Preterm Infant Microbiome: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

This randomized clinical trial investigates whether withholding the standard 48 hours of intravenous empirical antibiotics immediately after birth in preterm infants protects the developing microbiome and improves clinical outcomes.

Microbial therapeutic interventions.

The microbiome comprises all the microbes living in and on the human body. Human cells are greatly outnumbered by bacterial cells; thus human health depends on the health of the microbial ecosystem. For the immature preterm infant, the microbiome also influences intestinal and immune system development.