Enteral lactoferrin supplementation for very preterm infants: a randomised placebo-controlled trial

TY - JOUR

T1 - Enteral lactoferrin supplementation for very preterm infants

T2 - a randomised placebo-controlled trial

AU - The ELFIN Trial Investigators Group

AU - Griffiths, James

AU - Jenkins, Paula

AU - Vargova, Monika

AU - Bowler, Ursula

AU - Juszczak, Edmund

AU - King, Andrew

AU - Linsell, Louise

AU - Murray, David

AU - Partlett, Christopher

AU - Patel, Mehali

AU - Berrington, Janet E

AU - Dorling, Jon

AU - Embleton, Nicholas D

AU - Heath, Paul T

AU - Oddie, Sam

AU - McGuire, William

AU - Ainsworth, Sean

AU - Boyle, Elaine

AU - Clarke, P.

AU - Craig, Stanley

AU - Johnson, Kathryn

AU - Mactier, Helen

AU - Scorrer, Tim

AU - Ledwidge, Mary

AU - Story, Imogen

AU - Holder, Gemma

AU - Ohadike, Pamela

AU - Ellis, Sarah

AU - Vaikute, Rima

AU - Gowda, Girish

AU - Yates, Helen

AU - Garg, Shalabh

AU - Pilling, Elizabeth

AU - Roehr, Charles

AU - Batra, Dushyant

AU - Gibson, David

AU - Johnson, Mark

AU - Kumar, Yadlapalli

AU - Bartle, David

AU - Peters, Colin

AU - Quine, David

AU - Gupta, Richa

AU - Matthes, Jean

AU - Kennea, Nigel

AU - Reynolds, Peter

AU - Geethanath, Ruppa

AU - Janakiraman, Sundaram

AU - Vasu, Vimal

AU - Manjunatha, C. M.

N1 - © 2019 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.

PY - 2019/2/2

Y1 - 2019/2/2

N2 - Background: Infections acquired in hospital are an important cause of morbidity and mortality in very preterm infants. Several small trials have suggested that supplementing the enteral diet of very preterm infants with lactoferrin, an antimicrobial protein processed from cow's milk, prevents infections and associated complications. Methods: In this randomised, placebo-controlled trial, very preterm infants (born before 32 weeks' gestation) in 37 UK hospitals were allocated randomly (1:1) within 72 hours after birth to receive enteral bovine lactoferrin (150 mg/kg/day; maximum 300 mg/day) versus sucrose (same dose) once daily until 34 weeks' postmenstrual age. Web-based randomisation minimised for recruitment site, gestation (completed weeks), sex, and single versus multifetal pregnancy. Parents, caregivers and outcomes assessors were unaware of group assignment. The primary outcome was microbiologically-confirmed or clinically-suspected lateonset infection (occurring >72 hours after birth). The trial was registered with the International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number 88261002. Findings: We recruited 2203 participants between May 2014 and September 2017. Four infants had consent withdrawn or unconfirmed leaving 1098 infants in the lactoferrin group and 1101 in the sucrose group. Primary outcome data for 2182 infants were available for inclusion in the intention-to-treat analyses. In the intervention group, 316/1093 (28.9%) infants acquired a late-onset infection versus 334/1089 (30.7%) in the control group: risk ratio (RR) adjusted for minimisation factors 0.95 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.86, 1.04). Pre-specified subgroup analyses did not show statistically significant interactions for gestation at birth (completed weeks') or type of enteral milk received (human, formula, or both). Interpretation: Enteral supplementation with bovine lactoferrin does not reduce the incidence of late-onset infection in very preterm infants. Funding: UK National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment programme (10/57/49).

AB - Background: Infections acquired in hospital are an important cause of morbidity and mortality in very preterm infants. Several small trials have suggested that supplementing the enteral diet of very preterm infants with lactoferrin, an antimicrobial protein processed from cow's milk, prevents infections and associated complications. Methods: In this randomised, placebo-controlled trial, very preterm infants (born before 32 weeks' gestation) in 37 UK hospitals were allocated randomly (1:1) within 72 hours after birth to receive enteral bovine lactoferrin (150 mg/kg/day; maximum 300 mg/day) versus sucrose (same dose) once daily until 34 weeks' postmenstrual age. Web-based randomisation minimised for recruitment site, gestation (completed weeks), sex, and single versus multifetal pregnancy. Parents, caregivers and outcomes assessors were unaware of group assignment. The primary outcome was microbiologically-confirmed or clinically-suspected lateonset infection (occurring >72 hours after birth). The trial was registered with the International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number 88261002. Findings: We recruited 2203 participants between May 2014 and September 2017. Four infants had consent withdrawn or unconfirmed leaving 1098 infants in the lactoferrin group and 1101 in the sucrose group. Primary outcome data for 2182 infants were available for inclusion in the intention-to-treat analyses. In the intervention group, 316/1093 (28.9%) infants acquired a late-onset infection versus 334/1089 (30.7%) in the control group: risk ratio (RR) adjusted for minimisation factors 0.95 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.86, 1.04). Pre-specified subgroup analyses did not show statistically significant interactions for gestation at birth (completed weeks') or type of enteral milk received (human, formula, or both). Interpretation: Enteral supplementation with bovine lactoferrin does not reduce the incidence of late-onset infection in very preterm infants. Funding: UK National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment programme (10/57/49).

U2 - 10.1016/S0140-6736(18)32221-9

DO - 10.1016/S0140-6736(18)32221-9

M3 - Article

SN - 0140-6736

VL - 393

SP - 423

EP - 433

JO - Lancet

JF - Lancet

IS - 10170

ER -