• Skip to Content
  • Skip to Main Navigation
  • Skip to Search

Indiana University Indiana University IU

Open Search
  • About
    • Welcome
    • Leadership
    • Offices
    • Directory
    • Accreditation
    • Join our Team: Faculty/Academic Appointments
    • Join our Team: Staff Positions
    • Contact
    • Virtual Tour
  • Undergraduate
    • Majors & Degrees
    • Minors & Certificates
    • Advising
    • How to Apply
    • Costs and Finances
    • Contact & Visit
    • Dean's List
    • Virtual Tour
  • Masters
    • Majors & Degrees
    • Accelerated Master's Programs
    • Online program
    • How to Apply
      • Exploratory Non-Degree Seeking
      • International
      • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Advising
    • Costs and Financial Aid
    • Continuing Education
    • Certificates
    • Contact & Visit
    • Virtual Tour
  • Doctoral
    • Majors
    • How to Apply
      • International
      • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Advising
    • Costs and Financial Aid
    • Continuing Education
    • Contact & Visit Us
    • Virtual Tour
  • Career Services
    • Career Coaching
    • Career Kickstart
    • Student Outcomes
    • Recruit with Us
  • Student Experience
    • Life in the School of Public Health-Bloomington
    • Classroom Experience
    • Honors Program
    • Living Learning Center
    • Education Abroad
    • Research Day
    • Ombuds Office
  • Research & Departments
    • Centers and Institutes
    • Departments
      • Applied Health Science
      • Environmental and Occupational Health
      • Epidemiology and Biostatistics
      • Health & Wellness Design
      • Kinesiology
    • Bìguān 闭关
    • G.I.F.T.S.
  • Alumni & Giving
    • Ways to Give
    • Ways to Get Involved
    • Dean’s Alliance
    • Alumni Association Board
    • Distinguished Alumni Awards
      • Submit a Nomination
  • Current Students
    • Advising
    • Career Services
    • Internships
    • Financial Support
      • Scholarships
      • Fellowships
      • Fellowship & Scholarship Application
        • Fellowship & Scholarship Application: FAQs
    • Education Aboard
    • Student Organizations
    • Forms
    • Inclusive Excellence & Belonging
    • Graduation
    • Contact
  • News & Events
    • News
      • All News
    • Events
    • Distinguished Colloquium Speaker Series
      • Past Speakers
        • Distinguished Colloquium Speaker Series
        • Distinguished Colloquium Speaker Series
    • For Media Professionals

School of Public Health‐Bloomington

  • Home
  • About
    • Welcome
    • Leadership
    • Offices
    • Directory
    • Accreditation
    • Join our Team: Faculty/Academic Appointments
    • Join our Team: Staff Positions
    • Contact
    • Virtual Tour
  • Undergraduate
    • Majors & Degrees
    • Minors & Certificates
    • Advising
    • How to Apply
    • Costs and Finances
    • Contact & Visit
    • Dean's List
    • Virtual Tour
  • Masters
    • Majors & Degrees
    • Accelerated Master's Programs
    • Online program
    • How to Apply
    • Advising
    • Costs and Financial Aid
    • Continuing Education
    • Certificates
    • Contact & Visit
    • Virtual Tour
  • Doctoral
    • Majors
    • How to Apply
    • Advising
    • Costs and Financial Aid
    • Continuing Education
    • Contact & Visit Us
    • Virtual Tour
  • Career Services
    • Career Coaching
    • Career Kickstart
    • Student Outcomes
    • Recruit with Us
  • Student Experience
    • Life in the School of Public Health-Bloomington
    • Classroom Experience
    • Honors Program
    • Living Learning Center
    • Education Abroad
    • Research Day
    • Ombuds Office
  • Research & Departments
    • Centers and Institutes
    • Departments
    • Bìguān 闭关
    • G.I.F.T.S.
  • Alumni & Giving
    • Ways to Give
    • Ways to Get Involved
    • Dean’s Alliance
    • Alumni Association Board
    • Distinguished Alumni Awards
  • Search
  • Current Students
  • News & Events
  • Home
  • News & Events
  • News
  • Researchers Contribute to Groundbreaking Report on Probiotic for Infant Gut Health

Researchers Contribute to Groundbreaking Report on Probiotic for Infant Gut Health

Thursday, January 27, 2022

School of Public Health-Bloomington

Research conducted at the Biostatistics Consulting Center suggests administration of a gut bacterium (B. infantis EVC001) to low birth weight babies could prevent necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC).

According to a recent article in the Journal of Pediatrics, introducing a specific strain of gut bacterium, Bifidobacterium infantis (B. infantis) EVC001 to extremely underweight newborns could help prevent them from developing necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a serious disease affecting the intestine in very low birth weight (VLBW) babies and infant mortality. Dr. Arthur Owora, Stephanie Dickinson, and Lilian Golzarri-Arroyo of the Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington (IUSPH-B) Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics and Biostatistics Consulting Center performed statistical analysis to contribute to the findings.

Stephanie Dickinson
Stephanie Dickinson

In a cohort study at the Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU), 182 very low birth weight (VLBW) infants (<1500 g) administered a B. infantis EVC001 supplement of 80-100 mL/kg/day were compared with 301 VLBW infants from a previous time-period who received no probiotic supplement. 



Lilian Golzarri-Arroyo
Lilian Golzarri-Arroyo

The EVC001-fed cohort had a 73% risk reduction of NEC compared to infants in the No EVC001 cohort (11% versus 2.7%) with an adjusted risk ratio of 0.270 (95% CI 0.094, 0.614, P = 0.0054) after adjusting for sex, birth weight, gestational age at birth and mode of delivery. There was no NEC-related mortality in the EVC001-fed cohort, compared to 8 with NEC-related mortality in the comparison group, yielding a statistically significant difference (0% vs. 2.7%, P = 0.0274).

Dr. Arthur Owora
Dr. Arthur Owora

Among high-risk infants born via C-section, exposure to B. infantis EVC001 was associated with 88% lower risk of developing NEC. Dr. Owora says this information is a possible "game changer in reducing the burden of a devastating neonatal inflammatory bowel disease." He adds, "This collaborative work highlights some of the advantages of leveraging the intersection of academia and industry for drug discovery."

To learn more about IUSPH-B, visit publichealth.indiana.edu. More IUSPH-B news is always available at go.iu.edu/48bx.

  • News
    • All News
  • Events
  • Distinguished Colloquium Speaker Series
  • For Media Professionals

Additional links and resources

  • Information for:
    • Current Students

      • Academic Forms Online
      • Academic Forms Download
      • Advising
      • Career Services
      • Internships
    • Faculty / Staff

      • Grant Administration Office
      • Dean's Office Guidelines
      • Academic Council Guidelines
      • HR Toolkit
      • Faculty / Staff Online Forms
  • Quick Links
    • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
    • Faculty Directory
    • News
    • Events
    • Alumni
    • Giving
    • Room Request Form
  • Join our Team
    • Administration & Faculty positions
    • Staff positions
  • Undergraduate Programs
    • Degrees & Majors
    • How to Apply
    • Contact
  • Masters Programs
    • Degrees & Majors
    • How to Apply
    • Contact
  • Doctoral Programs
    • Majors
    • How to Apply
    • Contact
  • Key Websites
    • Online Programs & Certificates
    • THRIVE Living-Learning Center
    • Grant Administration Office
    • Internships
    • Public Health Partnerships
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn

School of Public Health-Bloomington
1025 E. Seventh Street, Suite 111
Bloomington, IN 47405-7109

Phone: 812-855-1561
Fax: 812-855-4983

Indiana University

Accessibility | College Scorecard | Open to All | Privacy Notice | Copyright © 2025 The Trustees of Indiana University