Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) due to leaky gut or high intestinal barrier permeability in preterm newborns affects 7-10% of preterm neonates or 1-5% of all neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admissions. The role of microbiota in postnatal intestinal barrier maturation has not been characterized. According to a recent study published in the journal mBio, newborns fed with breastmilk and the abundance of gut bacterium Bifidobacterium breve help the intestinal barrier to mature. Key findings Newborns who had breastmilk for more than four days were 10.3 times more likely to have low intestinal permeability (IP). Formula feeding alone showed higher IP in newborns.
However, a combination of formula feeding and breastfeeding significantly lowers the IP. Pasteurized donor human breastmilk and breastfeeding combination showed similar IP to that of the exclusive breastfeeding group. B. breve…
