Probiotics Reduce All-Cause Mortality and Necrotizing Enterocolitis: It Is Time to Change Practice

Abstract

Delay in adopting effective treatment has serious consequences.1 Hundreds of thousands more infants could have lived had antenatal corticosteroids been introduced sooner after evidence to support their use was published in 1972.2,3 A systematic review, published in this issue of Pediatrics , by Deshpande et al4 of 11 randomized, controlled trials (RCTs) in 2176 infants of 1000 g birth weight but also recommended more research in smaller infants.8 However, in a subsequent … Address correspondence to William Odita Tarnow-Mordi, BA(Cantab), MBChB, MRCP(UK), DCH, FRCPCH, Westmead Hospital WINNER Centre and Centre for Newborn Care, University of Sydney, Hawkesbury Road, Wentworthville, Sydney, New South Wales 2122, Australia. E-mail: williamtm{at}med.usyd.edu.au