Preventing necrotising enterocolitis with probiotics.

Necrotising enterocolitis is a serious gastrointestinal disorder that mainly affects preterm infants, especially those with low birthweight or low gestational age. From under 1% up to 5% of admissions to neonatal intensive care units are for the disease, and mortality is 15–30%.1 Necrotising enterocolitis occurs in about 7% of very-low-birthweight preterm babies.2 Over the past few decades, the frequency of the condition has shown no sign of reduction.3 Therefore the development of strategies to prevent the disease is a priority.