Alfa and beta diversity
Significantly lower alpha diversity was observed at the age of 0 months (i.e., sample taken within three days postpartum) among the preterm neonates who had received a placebo compared to the full-term neonates, as assessed by metagenomic species (MGS) richness (a) alpha diversity differences for preterm reference (placebo) and full-term reference groups at the age of 0, 1, 6, and 12 months represented as richness (MGS) and Shannon Index (MGS). P-values of the Mann-Whitney Y test are shown. Significant differences in alpha diversity were observed only at the age of 0 months (richness: 