Long‐term Colonization of a <i>Lactobacillus plantarum</i> Synbiotic Preparation in the Neonatal Gut

Abstract

The synbiotic preparation colonized quickly after 3 days of administration and the infants stayed colonized for several months after therapy was stopped. There was an increase in bacterial diversity and gram-positive organisms and a reduction of gram-negative bacterial load in the treatment group. Because a combination preparation was used, it is difficult to specifically attribute the colonization to either the probiotic or prebiotic component in this study. Larger efficacy trials are warranted to examine the mechanism of action and precise effects of these supplements.