الفهرس 
LACTOFERRIN OVERVIEWOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
L
actoferrin is an iron binding protein and one of the main component of breast milk that showed in the last decade very promising results in the prophylaxis against neonatal sepsis, fungal infections, anaemia of prematurity and infancy.
Probiotics are microorganisms that are believed to provide health benefits when consumed by providing protective barriers, enhancing immune responses, and clearing pathogens in the gastrointestinal tract.
Our study primary aimed to o evaluate the efficacy of enteral lactoferrin in combination with the probiotic species (Lactobacillus Delbrueckii and Lactobacillus Fermentum) in the prevention of invasive fungal infections in preterm infants admitted in (NICUs).
We conducted a double blinded study upon 40 preterm neonates admitted to the NICU at Ain Shams university hospitals over recruitment period, from March 2017 to July 2017.
In our study preterm neonates (n = 40) were simply randomized into 2 groups, group A (n =20) who receive lactoferrine and probiotic (Cases group) compared with group B(n =20) who received placebo (control group).
The neonates included in this study were subjected to full history taking; through clinical examination laying stress on clinical signs of infection and laboratory investigations, CBC with differential cell count, CRP, blood culture and fungal cultures that were withdrawn on day of enrolment, day 7, 14, 21 and 28.
Neonates with underlying gastrointestinal anomalies that prevent enteral intake, congenital anomalies, suspected inborn error of metabolism or who failed to enroll in the 1st 72 hours of age were excluded from the study.
Our 1ry outcome was to prove the antifungal effect of LF and probiotic as there really helped to decrease the incidence as well as the severity of IFIs in the preterm neonates who received it versus those who didn’t.
As a 2ry outcome, our study showed that combination with LF and probiotic played a beneficial role in the enhancement of hemoglobin and hematocrit status and as a prophylaxis against anemia of prematurity.
In addition to all, this combination promoted the general condition of the studied neonates and significantly decreased the signs of sepsis, the feeding intolerance, the length of hospital stay and the mortality rate as well as helped those who received it to progress rapidly in feeding, need less invasive procedures and less antibiotics.
In summary, combination of Lactoferrin and probiotics are safe drugs that generally promotes the wellbeing of neonates and promotes their health and need to be taken into consideration by all the neonatal care health units in the developed and developing countries as it might help to decrease the incidence of complications of prematurity and its burdens on the individual and the society.