Intestinal microbiota and blue baby syndrome

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is the most common intestinal emergency among premature infants. Risk factors in premature infants include immature intestinal immunity and an intestinal microbiota dominated by hospital-acquired bacteria. Some probiotics have been shown to decrease the incidence of NEC in premature infants. Among term infants, NEC is rare. However, among term infants with cyanotic congenital heart disease (CCHD), the incidence of NEC is similar to that of premature infants but with even greater mortality rates. Mechanisms by which NEC occurs in term infants with CCHD are unknown. Of central interest is the potential role of changes in the intestinal microbiota and whether these can be modified with probiotic bacteria; accordingly, we review the literature, propose hypotheses and present the rationale for future studies involving preliminary probiotic clinical trials.