STOOL MICROFLORA IN PRETERM INFANTS- BIFIDOBACTERIUM
Shiga S, Satoh Y, Shinohara K, Umezaki H,
Hisada K*, Yamashiro Y*
Juntendo University Hospital at Izunagaoka, Shizuoka, Japan
* Juntendo University, Tokyo, Japan
Objective: To serially characterise aerobic and
anaerobic stool microflora in preterm infants and to correlate
Bifidobacterium colonisation patterns with gestational age.
Methods: Stool specimens from 26 infants of gestational
age < 37 weeks were collected on days 7, 14, 21, 28, 42, 56 and 70 after
birth. Bacterial cultures were started within 1 hour of sample collection.
Quantitative aerobic and anaerobic cultures were performed. Bifidobacterium
breve, supplied as a freeze-dried powder containing about 109 colony
forming units/g, was administrated when enteral feeding was started.
Results: Bifidobacterium colonisation rates were 0% at
day 7, 34.6% at day 14, 45.6% at day 28, 47.1% at day 42, 93.8% at day 56
in preterm infants. This experiment showed that the smaller the gestational
age was, the later Bifidobacterium colonisation was. There was no
correlation between the time of Bifidobacterium colonisation and the time
when we begun administrating Bifidobacterium breve.
Conclusions: There was a significant inverse
correlation between the time of Bifidobacterium colonisation and the
gestational age. Administration of Bifidobacterium breve had no adverse
effect on colonisation of bifidobacteria in preterm infants. We should
re-examine more appropriate time and method of Bifidobacterium breve administration
in preterm infants.