Other benefits included fewer episodes of feed intolerance , better weight gain and growth velocity , decreased transition time from orogastric to breast feeds , and increased postpr and ial mesenteric flow .
There were no adverse effects of probiotic supplementation .
Probiotics reduced the time to full enteral feeds  in preterm neonates .
INTRODUCTION The optimization of enteral nutrition is a priority in preterm neonates worldwide .
Probiotics are known to improve gut maturity and function in preterm neonates .
To our knowledge , previous systematic review s have not adequately assessed the effects of probiotic supplementation on enteral nutrition in preterm neonates .
OBJECTIVE We assessed the evidence on effects of probiotics on enteral nutrition in preterm neonates .
Enteral feeding of premature infants with Lactobacillus GG.
The objectives of this study were to determine whether or not the probiotic Lactobacillus GG can colonise the immature bowel of premature infants and if so , does colonisation result in a reduction of the size of the bowel reservoir of nosocomial pathogens such as enterobacteriaceae , enterococci , yeasts or staphylococci , and does colonisation with Lactobacillus GG have any effect on the clinical progress and outcome . Twenty preterm infants with a gestational age of 33 weeks or less who were resident on a neonatal unit were studied from the initiation of milk feeds until discharge . The infants were r and omised to receive either milk feeds or milk feeds supplemented with Lactobacillus GG 10(8 ) colony forming units twice a day for two weeks . The clinical features of the two groups of infants were similar . Orally administered Lactobacillus GG was well tolerated and did colonise the bowel of premature infants . However , colonisation with Lactobacillus GG did not reduce the faecal reservoir of potential pathogens and there was no evidence that colonisation had any positive clinical benefit for this particular group of infants
Other benefits included fewer episodes of feed intolerance , better weight gain and growth velocity , decreased transition time from orogastric to breast feeds , and increased postpr and ial mesenteric flow .
There were no adverse effects of probiotic supplementation .
Probiotics reduced the time to full enteral feeds  in preterm neonates .
INTRODUCTION The optimization of enteral nutrition is a priority in preterm neonates worldwide .
Probiotics are known to improve gut maturity and function in preterm neonates .
To our knowledge , previous systematic review s have not adequately assessed the effects of probiotic supplementation on enteral nutrition in preterm neonates .
OBJECTIVE We assessed the evidence on effects of probiotics on enteral nutrition in preterm neonates .