The Impact of Gut Microbial Diversity in Preterm Infant Infections

Certain factors bring about microbial preterm infections, including mode of delivery, socio-economic/geographic factors, gut microbial diversity etc. Consequent colonization of the gut by these microorganisms can have malevolent aftermaths. In the same vein, premature infections such as necrotizing entero colitis (NEC) and sepsis are among the crucial infections causing morbidity and mortality among preterm infants. This review is aimed at highlighting the impact of gut microbial diversity in premature infections. During this review, we employed the use of online published articles from peer review journals, google scholar and other accepted published conference proceedings. The use of chemoprophylaxis, empirical chemotherapeutic regimens and the administration of probiotics are the ways put forward to manage the infections. Gut microbial diversity is one of the prime factors in preterm infections and subsequent neonatal death, and as such is an important checkpoint in preventing preterm infections. Identification of this microbial diversity and the environmental needs of microbes is hence paramount.