Synopsis:

Probiotics are defined as live microorganisms, which when administered in adequate amounts, confer health benefits on the host. Their exact mechanism of action is currently unclear, however, their beneficial effects are likely to result from a variety of actions including, alteration of the innate commensal microbiota, modification of gut barrier function, and modulation of intestinal immune responses.

This talk will focus on the reported effects of probiotics in preterm infants incorporating an in-depth discussion of the ProPrems Study, a large multi-centre RCT of probiotic administration to preterm infants in Australia and New Zealand. Sub-studies of the original trial which investigated the intestinal microbiome of the ProPrems cohort with respect to probiotic colonisation and cross-colonisation will be presented and the ProPrems Neuro Study, a neurodevelopmental, allergy and health economic follow-up study, will be introduced.

Speakers:

Associate Professor Sue Jacobs is a Neonatal Paediatrician and Deputy Clinical Director of Neonatal Services at the Royal Women’s, Melbourne. She combines her clinical and administrative commitments with clinical research into the effectiveness of novel therapies on newborn infants’ outcomes and their translation into clinical practice. This is exemplified in the preterm probiotics administration study, ProPrems, and the translation of therapeutic hypothermia after term perinatal asphyxia into clinical practice in the NICU, non-tertiary neonatal setting and during retrieval-transport.

Dr. Leah Hickey has worked as a Neonatal Paediatrician on Butterfly Ward at The Royal Children’s Hospital since 2013 and as a Neonatal Transport Consultant with PIPER since 2012. Her research interests are in gastrointestinal health and nutrition and she has completed a Doctoral Research degree on the topic of Probiotics and the Preterm Infants’ Intestinal Microbiome. Dr. Hickey and A./Prof. Jacobs are currently Chief Investigators on the ProPrems Neuro Study, which is investigating the neurodevelopmental, allergy and health economic effects of probiotic administration to preterm infants.