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Gut Microbiota in Very Low Birth Weight Infants

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A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Prebiotics and Probiotics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 July 2021) | Viewed by 16221

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Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Bernhard Resch

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Guest Editor

Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 34/2, 8036 Graz, Austria
Interests: neonatology; infectious diseases; intensive care medicine; neurodevelopmental follow-up

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It is my pleasure to announce a Special Issue for Nutrients entitled “Gut Microbiota in Very Low Birth Weight Infants” that aims to cover the most recent facts and figures around the gut microbiome of very low birth weight (VLBW) infants. Our current understandings about the nature of the VLBW infant gut microbiome have grown enormously over the last few years. Prophylaxis and treatment of necrotizing enterocolitis is one entity that researchers try to better characterize and explain through microbiome research. Probiotics, mainly Lactobacillus and Bifidusbacterium, and some combination preparations are in development, trying to hinder NEC development. Mainly the optimal probiotic, its dosage, when to start and duration of prophylaxis or treatment are questions that still need adequate studies to be answered. Developmental follow-up of these high-risk preterm infants and the influence of the microbiome based on the gut–brain axis might be discussed. The influence of neonatal intensive care medicine on the gut microbiota is complex, and the influence of feeding strategies on gut microbiota has to be further elucidated. Many neonatal diagnoses (e.g., late-onset sepsis) are strongly associated with gut microbiota. Hopefully, the topic of this Special Issue interests and attracts lots of researchers and study groups to publish original articles or reviews in Nutrients.

Prof. Dr. Bernhard Resch
Guest Editor

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Keywords

Microbiome
Preterm infant
Probiotics
Necrotizing enterocolitis
Feeding
Gut microbiota
Breast milk
Neonatal infectious diseases
Intensive care medicine
Prophylaxis

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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10 pages, 2693 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Early Gut Microbiota Colonisation of Premature Infants Fed with Breastmilk or Formula with or without Probiotics: A Cohort Study

by Cheng Chi, Yali Fan, Cheng Li, Yu Li, Shan Guo, Tianhe Li, Nicholas Buys, Vicki L. Clifton, Paul B. Colditz, Chenghong Yin and Jing Sun

Nutrients 2021, 13(11), 4068; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nu13114068 - 14 Nov 2021

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2861

Abstract

Premature infants have a fragile ecology of the gut microbiota, which is associated with many health problems and may be influenced by formula versus breast feeding. The present study investigated differences in the process of gut microbiota colonisation in preterm infants fed with breastmilk or formula with or without probiotics before 12 weeks. This cohort study recruited 138 premature infants; 31 in the breastmilk (BM) group, 59 in the probiotics formula (PF) group and 48 in the non-probiotics formula (NPF) group, according to the feeding practice they received at birth. Gut bacterial composition was identified with 16S rRNA gene sequencing in faecal samples collected at 1 week, 6 weeks and 12 weeks after birth. The alpha diversity was higher in the PF group compared to the other groups at week 1 and 6 (both p < 0.01) but showed no difference at week 12. The beta diversity of the three groups showed a trend towards similarity at the first two stages (p < 0.001 and p = 0.009, respectively) and finally showed no difference at week 12. Canonical redundancy analysis showed that feeding type could explain the difference in gut microbiota composition at week one and six (both p < 0.01). At genus level, Bifidobacterium was enriched in the PF group, while the Enterococcus and Streptococcus was enriched in the NPF group. In summary, formula with probiotics feeding after birth can affect gut microbiota colonisation and lead to a bacterial community with less potential pathogens. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gut Microbiota in Very Low Birth Weight Infants)

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13 pages, 2286 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Human Milk on Very Preterms’ Gut Microbiota and Alkaline Phosphatase Activity

by Juliana Morais, Cláudia Marques, Ana Faria, Diana Teixeira, Inês Barreiros-Mota, Catarina Durão, João Araújo, Shámila Ismael, Sara Brito, Manuela Cardoso, Israel Macedo, Esmeralda Pereira, Teresa Tomé and Conceição Calhau

Nutrients 2021, 13(5), 1564; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nu13051564 - 06 May 2021

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2858

Abstract

The FEEDMI Study (NCT03663556) evaluated the influence of infant feeding (mother’s own milk (MOM), donor human milk (DHM) and formula) on the fecal microbiota composition and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity in extremely and very preterm infants (≤32 gestational weeks). In this observational study, preterm infants were recruited within the first 24 h after birth. Meconium and fecal samples were collected at four time points (between the 2nd and the 26th postnatal days. Fecal microbiota was analyzed by RT-PCR and by 16S rRNA sequencing. Fecal ALP activity, a proposed specific biomarker of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), was evaluated by spectrophotometry at the 26th postnatal day. A total of 389 fecal samples were analyzed from 117 very preterm neonates. Human milk was positively associated with beneficial bacteria, such as Bifidobacterium, Bacteroides ovatus, and Akkermancia muciniphila, as well as bacterial richness. Neonates fed with human milk during the first week of life had increased Bifidobacterium content and fecal ALP activity on the 26th postnatal day. These findings point out the importance of MOM and DHM in the establishment of fecal microbiota on neonates prematurely delivered. Moreover, these results suggest an ALP pathway by which human milk may protect against NEC. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gut Microbiota in Very Low Birth Weight Infants)

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14 pages, 2312 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Characterization of the Luminal and Mucosa-Associated Microbiome along the Gastrointestinal Tract: Results from Surgically Treated Preterm Infants and a Murine Model

by Ingeborg Klymiuk, Georg Singer, Christoph Castellani, Slave Trajanoski, Beate Obermüller and Holger Till

Nutrients 2021, 13(3), 1030; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nu13031030 - 23 Mar 2021

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2838

Abstract

Environmental factors, including nutritional habits or birth mode, are known key determinants for intestinal microbial composition. Investigations of the intestinal microbiome in different species in a multiplicity of studies during recent decades have revealed differential microbial patterns and quantities along the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Characterization of the microbial pattern in various aspects is a prerequisite for nutritional interventions. In this 16S rRNA amplicon-based approach, we present a characterization of the mucosa-associated microbiome in comparison with the luminal community of four infants at the time of the closure of ileostomies and perform a systematic characterization of the corresponding luminal and mucosal microbiome from jejunal, ileal and colonic regions, as well as collected feces in mice. The most dominant taxa in infant-derived samples altered due to individual differences, and in the mucosa, Enterococcus, Clostridiumsensustricto1, Veillonella, Streptococcus and Staphylococcus were the most abundant. Two less abundant taxa differed significantly between the mucosa and lumen. In murine samples, relative abundances differed significantly, mainly between the intestinal regions. Significant differences between mouse mucosa- and lumen-derived samples could be found in the observed species with a trend to lower estimated diversity in mucosa-derived samples, as well as in the relative abundance of individual taxa. In this study, we examined the difference between the mucosal and luminal bacterial colonization of the gastrointestinal tract in a small sample cohort of preterm infants. Individual differences were characterized and statistical significance was reached in two taxa (Cupriavidus, Ralstonia). The corresponding study on the different murine intestinal regions along the GI tract showed differences all over the intestinal region. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gut Microbiota in Very Low Birth Weight Infants)

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Review

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14 pages, 1605 KiB

Open AccessReview

Probiotics for Preventing Necrotizing Enterocolitis in Preterm Infants: A Network Meta-Analysis

by Isadora Beghetti, Davide Panizza, Jacopo Lenzi, Davide Gori, Silvia Martini, Luigi Corvaglia and Arianna Aceti

Nutrients 2021, 13(1), 192; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nu13010192 - 09 Jan 2021

Cited by 57 | Viewed by 6832

Abstract

Background: Recent evidence supports a role of probiotics in preventing necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in preterm infants. Methods: A systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the role of probiotics in preventing NEC in preterm infants, focusing on the differential effect of type of feeding, was performed following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A random-effects model was used; a subgroup analysis on exclusively human milk (HM)-fed infants vs. infants receiving formula (alone or with HM) was performed. Results: Fifty-one trials were included (10,664 infants, 29 probiotic interventions); 31 studies (19 different probiotic regimens) were suitable for subgroup analysis according to feeding. In the overall analysis, Lactobacillus acidophilus LB revealed the most promising effect for reducing NEC risk (odds ratio (OR), 0.03; 95% credible intervals (CrIs), 0.00–0.21). The subgroup analysis showed that Bifidobacterium lactis Bb-12/B94 was associated with a reduced risk of NEC stage ≥2 in both feeding type populations, with a discrepancy in the relative effect size in favour of exclusively HM-fed infants (OR 0.04; 95% CrIs <0.01–0.49 vs. OR 0.32; 95% CrIs 0.10–0.36). Conclusions: B. lactis Bb-12/B94 could reduce NEC risk with a different size effect according to feeding type. Of note, most probiotic strains are evaluated in few trials and relatively small populations, and outcome data according to feeding type are not available for all RCTs. Further trials are needed to confirm the present findings. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gut Microbiota in Very Low Birth Weight Infants)

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