Application of probiotics in prevention of neonatal ventilator-associated pneumonia

Probiotics are a group of microbes that are beneficial to the host and are mutually beneficial. They play an important role in regulating the nutrient metabolism, immune function, and intestinal microecological balance. Neonatal ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a common complication after the use of ventilator in neonate intensive care unit (NICU), which often leads to prolonged hospital stay, increased costs, antibiotic resistance, and other consequences and is one of the important causes of neonatal death. In recent years, a large number of studies have shown that probiotics are closely related to the outcome of neonatal respiratory diseases. This paper describes the progress in the application of probiotics in the prevention of neonatal VAP. Key words: Probiotics; Neonate; Ventilator-associated pneumonia; Prevention