Exciting research in the news today: the benefit of probiotics for premature babies!
Key takeaways from the article:
- Premature babies are at risk of developing necrotising enterocolitis (NEC)
- If untreated, this condition can be fatal and lead to complications such as cerebral palsy
- Probiotics, mixed with breast milk, were trialed as a preventative treatment for this condition as they improve gut integrity and can reduce inflammation in the gut
- Early results of the trial suggest that this treatment reduced the incidence of bowel disease by up to 50%
- It can cost around $250,000 to treat a child who gets the disease, while a course of the probiotic is as little as $75!
To read more: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-04-10/new-hope-for-premature-babies/4619984
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