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In this episode, Dr. Jonathan Blau discusses the evidence for probiotics in the prevention of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). He explains that the history of probiotics in neonatology spans almost 20 years, with meta-analyses showing a significant reduction in NEC rates. The pathophysiology of NEC is related to dysbiosis in premature infants, and probiotics aim to restore a healthy microbiome. The use of probiotics varies internationally, with Europe and Canada having higher rates of use compared to the United States. Dr. Blau also discusses the optimal study design for probiotics and the potential benefits beyond NEC prevention.

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