Prematurity remains a major global health challenge and is among the leading causes of neonatal mortality worldwide. Premature neonates frequently experience slow weight gain, feeding intolerance, prolonged hospitalization, and increased risks of severe complications and death. Identifying affordable and accessible interventions that improve neonatal outcomes is especially important in low-resource settings.

This randomized clinical trial was conducted in the Neonatal Units of Malalai Maternity Hospital and Maiwand Teaching Hospital in Kabul City. A total of 84 premature neonates participated in the study. The intervention consisted of dual-strain probiotics containing Bifidobacterium bifidum and Clostridium butyricum, which were added to milk and administered twice daily for three weeks.

The study demonstrated that premature neonates in our setting experienced slower weight gain compared with reports from higher-income countries, particularly in the control group. Importantly, supplementation with dual-strain probiotics significantly improved daily weight gain, shortened the time required to achieve full feeds, and reduced hospital admission days among premature infants weighing less than 2000 grams.

Although the risks of feeding intolerance and neonatal mortality were somewhat lower in the probiotic group, these differences did not reach statistical significance. Nevertheless, the findings suggest that probiotic supplementation may represent a promising, low-cost supportive intervention for improving neonatal growth and recovery in resource-limited settings.

This study contributes important evidence from Afghanistan to the growing international literature on probiotics and neonatal health. The recent publication of supportive meta-analyses further highlights the increasing scientific interest in the role of the neonatal microbiome and probiotics in improving outcomes among vulnerable premature infants.

#Neonatology #Prematurity #Probiotics #NICU #GlobalHealth #Pediatrics #NeonatalCare #MedicalResearch #Microbiome #InfantHealth