Role of lactoferrin in neonatal care: a systematic review

Abstract

Background: Lactoferrin (LF) is present in breast milk and have numerous properties including antimicrobial, antiviral, antifungal, and anticancer. Recent studies have emphasized the role of LF in neonatal care

Aims and objective: To evaluate the various roles of LF in neonatal care in preterm infants.

Search methods: The literature search was done for this systematic review by searching the electronic database namely Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Scopus, Index Copernicus, African Index Medicus (AIM), Thomson Reuters (ESCI), Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS), SCIWIN (Scientific World Index), Google Scholar, Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Information System (LILACS), Index Medicus for the Eastern Mediterranean Region (IMEMR), Index Medicus for the South-East Asian Region (IMSEAR), Western Pacific Region Index Medicus (WPRIM), various sites for ongoing trials namely clinical trial registry (www.clinicaltrials.gov, www.controlled-trials.com, Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (http://www.anzctr.org.au), Indian Clinical Trials Registry (http://ctri.nic.in/Clinicaltrials), and the World Health Organization (WHO) International Clinical Trials Registry, and Platform (http://www.who.int/ictrp/search/en/) and abstracts of conferences namely proceedings of Pediatric Academic Societies (American Pediatric Society, Society for Pediatric Research, and European Society for Pediatric Research).

Results: Nine eligible studies were analyzed that fulfilled the inclusion criteria of the systematic review. Six duplicate publications were excluded from review. Four studies were excluded due to nonfulfillment of inclusion criteria. All of the studies had more than one outcome of interest. Four studies showed reduction in late onset sepsis (LOS), one showed reduction in invasive fungal infection (IFI), three showed significant decrease in incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), one showed reduction in NEC scares, and two showed decrease in mortality, and one showed decrease in combined death and/or NEC. Only one study evaluated role of LF for ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) reduction and showed lower rate of VAP. Still the role of LF in Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is unclear.

Conclusion: LF has shown to be promising agent for reduction of LOS and NEC. The role of LF in prevention of neonatal mortality, BPD, and ROP needs further studies. The trials that are going on around the world may be able to give reply of this question in future

Keywords:

• Late onset sepsis
• mortality
• neonatal sepsis
• necrotizing enterocolitis
• pneumonia
• preterm
• lactoferrin

Acknowledgements

To our parents who have always inspired us for hard work.

Declaration of interest

The authors declared the absence of any competing interests.

Ethics (and consent to participate)

Not applicable as this is systematic review.

Consent to publish

Not applicable.

Authors’ contributions

D.S., S.S., and P.S. drafted the manuscript. D.S. and S.S. participated in the design of the study and performed the statistical analysis. D.S. and P.S. conceived of the study, and participated in its design and coordination and helped to draft the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. The authors did not receive funds for this study.