ABSTRACT
Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a common severe gastrointestinal disease in preterm infants. The morbidity and mortality of NEC are negatively correlated with the gestational age and birth weight. In addition to causing a variety of gastrointestinal complications, NEC can also cause neurodevelopmental impairment. Recently, many studies have found that gut microbiome dysbiosis plays an important part in the pathogenesis of NEC. It is helpful to explore the relationship between gut microbiome and NEC for the early diagnosis and severity prediction of NEC. Researchers have paid much attention to the role of probiotics in reducing the morbidity and mortality of NEC in preterm infants. It's controversial as to whether probiotics is effective and safe in clinical application. This article will review the relationship between the development of gut microbiome and NEC in preterm infants, as well as the preventive effect of probiotics on NEC.