Probiotics Help Preterm Babies Fight Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria, Study Finds

New Delhi: A new study has found that administering probiotics to very low birth weight preterm babies can significantly improve their gut health and reduce the presence of dangerous, drug-resistant bacteria.

Published in Nature Communications, the research involved 34 preterm babies born weighing less than 1,500 grams, a group that makes up around 1–1.5% of births worldwide. Scientists from the University of Birmingham, UK, studied how these babies’ gut bacteria changed over the first three weeks of life, especially when probiotics were given alongside antibiotics.

The team focused on a probiotic strain called Bifidobacterium, a type of good bacteria naturally found in the gut. Babies who received this probiotic developed a gut microbiome more similar to that of full-term babies. These infants had lower levels of harmful bacteria, especially multidrug-resistant pathogens like Enterococcus, which can lead to serious infections and longer hospital stays.

Even more importantly, babies given probiotics had fewer antibiotic resistance genes in their gut. This suggests that probiotics don’t just support gut health — they also help fight the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a growing global health concern.

Professor Lindsay Hall, the lead researcher, explained, "We already knew probiotics help protect preterm babies from serious infections. Now, we’ve shown they also reduce antibiotic resistance and harmful bacteria in the gut."

In contrast, babies who didn’t receive probiotics showed gut bacteria dominated by “pathobionts”, bacteria that can cause disease, particularly during the early weeks of life when babies are most vulnerable.

The findings are especially significant for neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), where premature babies often face high infection risks. Many NICUs in the UK already use probiotics, and the World Health Organisation (WHO) has recommended probiotic supplementation for preterm infants.

"This study highlights how probiotics can give preterm babies a much-needed head start," said Professor Hall. "They help develop a healthy gut microbiome and prevent dangerous bacteria from taking hold."

The research shows that early probiotic use could play a key role in improving outcomes for preterm babies and reducing the long-term risks linked to antibiotic-resistant infections.