Antibiotic exposure, gut microbiota and the impact of probiotics supplements in neonates: A randomised controlled trial

Antibiotic exposure was found to dramatically alter gut microbiota, with a significant decrease of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. The use of probiotics did not restore the overall diversity of the gut microbiota. However, using probiotics simultaneously with antibiotics was found to be beneficial for the gut microbiota as compared to delaying the use of probiotics to follow treatment with antibiotics, particularly in promoting the abundance of Bifidobacterium. These results suggest that the early use of probiotics may have a potential ability to remodel the gut microbiota during recovery from antibiotic treatment.