AUTHOR=Romero-Maldonado Silvia , Soriano-Becerril Diana Mercedes , García-May Perla Karina , Reyes-Muñoz Enrique , Muñoz-Ortíz Eudoxia Georgina , Carrera-Muiños Sandra , Granados-Cepeda Martha Lucía , Cardona-Pérez Jorge Arturo , Castro-Millán Elsa , Segura-Cervantes Enrique , Ceballos Guillermo , Montoya-Estrada Araceli 

TITLE=Effect of Oropharyngeal Administration of Colostrum in Premature Newborns ≤32 Weeks of Gestation on the Immune Response and Neonatal Morbidity: A Double-Blind Randomized Clinical Trial

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pediatrics

VOLUME=10

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pediatrics/articles/10.3389/fped.2022.891491

DOI=10.3389/fped.2022.891491

ISSN=2296-2360

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Introduction</title><p>The mother's colostrum carries immunological components, such as cytokines and immunoglobulins (Igs), derived from the maternal circulation with bacteriostatic properties.</p></sec><sec><title>Objective</title><p>The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of oropharyngeal administration of colostrum (OPAC) vs. placebo in the first 4 days of life in premature newborns ≤32 weeks of gestation on serum Ig concentration, neonatal morbidity, and total days of hospitalization.</p></sec><sec><title>Hypothesis</title><p>The OPAC increases serum Igs and decreases morbidity and total days of hospitalization.</p></sec><sec><title>Materials and Methods</title><p>A double-blind randomized controlled trial was carried out. Participants were randomly assigned to one of the two groups, namely, group 1: placebo (P) (<italic>n</italic> = 50) and group 2: colostrum (C) (<italic>n</italic> = 46). A blood sample was obtained at baseline and 7 and 28 days of life to quantify immunoglobulin G (IgG), immunoglobulin A (IgA), and IgM. Results: The C group showed an increase in serum IgA on day 28 expressed as median and [interquartile range]; C: 25 [12–35] vs. P: 11 [8–18], <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001. There were no significant differences in neonatal morbidity. Newborns in the colostrum group showed the completed enteral feeding earlier (days), C: 13.9 ± 7 vs. P: 17.4 ± 8.4, <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.04; they reached the birth weight earlier, C: 10.9 ± 2.8 vs. P: 12.9 ± 4, <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.01, and had less days of hospitalization, C: 60.2 ± 33.8 vs. P: 77.2 ± 47.3, <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.04. Neonatal mortality was lower in the colostrum grou<italic>p</italic> than the placebo group 0% vs. 12%, respectively, without a statistical difference (<italic>p</italic> = 0.06).</p></sec><sec><title>Conclusion</title><p>In premature newborns ≤32 weeks of gestation, the OPAC within 4 days after birth increases serum IgA concentration at day 28 compared to placebo. Similarly, OPAC decreased the days to complete enteral feeding and reach the birth weight and total days of hospitalization.</p></sec><sec><title>Clinical Trial Registration</title><p>[<ext-link ext-link-type="uri" xlink:href="https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03578341" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03578341</ext-link>], identifier: [NCT03578341].</p></sec>