PROBIOTIC SUPPLEMENTATION IN NEONATAL JAUNDICE: CURRENT PERSPECTIVES AND THERAPEUTIC POTENTIAL

Objective: The objective of this paper is to review the adjunctive role of probiotics in the treatment of neonatal jaundice (NJ), focusing on mechanisms, clinical trial evidence, and synergy with phototherapy. Methods: Narrative synthesis of randomized controlled trials, mechanistic studies, and meta-analyses of probiotic interventions in term and preterm infants with hyperbilirubinemia. Results: Probiotics, especially Saccharomyces boulardii and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis CP 9 enhance bilirubin clearance via gut modulation, decreased β glucuronidase activity, improved motility, and strengthened barrier integrity. Clinical trials report faster bilirubin decline, shorter phototherapy time, and better feeding tolerance. Multi-strain products also show positive outcomes, though variability in strains and dosing persists. Conclusions: Probiotics are safe and effective adjuncts to phototherapy in treating NJ. Future standardized large RCTs with long-term follow-up are necessary to define precise clinical guidelines.