Jara Pérez, J.Moreno-Sanz, B.Castro Navarro, I.Alba Rubio, ClaudioChinea Jiménez, B.Escribano Palomino, E.Fernández Álvarez, LeonidesRodríguez, J. M.Orgaz Martín, BelénSáenz de Pipaón, M.2026-04-282026-04-282021Jara Pérez, J., Moreno-Sanz, B., Castro Navarro, I., Alba Rubio, C., Chinea Jiménez, B., Escribano Palomino, E., Fernández Álvarez, L., Rodríguez, J. M., Orgaz Martín, B., & Sáenz de Pipaón, M. (2022). Nasogastric enteral feeding tubes modulate preterm colonization in early life. Pediatric Research, 92(3), 838-847. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41390-021-01852-50031-399810.1038/s41390-021-01852-5https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/135160Author'sContributions J.J.P. and I.C.N carried out the microbiological analysis of the samples and wrote the first draft of the manuscript. C.A.R. and L.F.A carried out the statistical analysis. B.M.- S. coordinated the clinical part of the study. B.M.-S, B.C.J., E.E.P., and M.S.P. enrolled infants and collected the clinical data. M.S.P., B.O.M., and J.M.R. conceived and designed the study. L.F.A. contributed to the study design. All authors contributed to the analysis, and/or interpretation of data. All authors revised the article critically and approved the final version to be published.Background Preterm infants are generally fed through nasogastric enteral feeding tubes (NEFTs). The aim of this work was to evaluate the role of NEFTs in the initial colonization of the preterm gut and its evolution within the first 2 weeks after birth. Methods For this purpose, fecal and NEFT-derived samples from 30 preterm infants hospitalized in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) were collected from birth to the second week of life. Samples were cultivated in ten culture media, including three for the isolation of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms. Results Isolates (561) were identified by 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing. Although the first NEFTs inserted into the neonates after birth were rarely colonized, analysis of NEFTs and fecal samples over time revealed a significant increase in bacterial abundance, diversity, and detection frequency. Results showed a parallel colonization between time-matched NEFTs and fecal samples, suggesting an ongoing bidirectional transfer of bacteria from the neonatal gut to the NEFTs and vice versa. Conclusions In short-term hospitalization, length is by far the determinant factor for the early colonization of preterm infants. As NEFT populations reflect the bacterial populations that are colonizing the preterm in a precise moment, their knowledge could be useful to prevent the dissemination of antibiotic-resistant strains.engjournal article1530-0447https://doi.org/10.1038/s41390-021-01852-534845351https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34845351/restricted access663/665Intestinal MicrobiotaBiofilm FormationGut MicrobiomePotential RoleinInfantsTermContaminationInfectionsImpactTecnología de los alimentos3309 Tecnología de Los Alimentos