Effect of Administration of Combined Enteral Lactoferrin and Probiotic On Invasive Fungal Infections In Preterm Neonates
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2021-04-27
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
The risk for invasive fungal infections is high in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants (<
1500 g) and highest for infants born at the youngest gestational ages who survive past the
immediate postnatal period.
Invasive fungal infections (IFIs) represent an increasing cause of severe morbidity and
mortality in most neonatal intensive care units.
Lactoferrin (LF) is secreted by epithelial cells into exocrine fluids: seminal fluid, tears,
saliva, uterine secretions, and milk. LF is involved in innate immunity mechanisms with
several documented anti-infective properties, including antifungal activity.
Probiotics are microorganisms that are believed to provide health benefits when consumed.
It is possible to adopt measures to modify the flora in our bodies and to replace the harmful
microbes by useful microbes.
There are certain commercially available strains of probiotic bacteria from the Bifido
bacterium and Lactobacillus genera when taken by mouth in daily doses possess treatment
efficacy