Does oropharyngeal administration of colostrum reduce morbidity and mortality in very preterm infants? A randomised parallel-group controlled trial

Effect of oropharyngeal colostrum therapy on neonatal sepsis in preterm neonates: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Various studies have shown that oropharyngeal colostrum application (OPCA) is beneficial to preterm neonates. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess whether OPCA reduces the incidence of culture-proven neonatal sepsis in preterm neonates. Randomized controlled trials comparing OPCA with placebo or standard care in preterm neonates were included. Medline, Embase, Web of Science, Cumulated Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Scopus, and CENTRAL were searched for studies published up to June 15, 2023. We used the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool, version 2, for risk of bias assessment, the random-effects model (RevMan 5.4) for meta-analysis, and Gradepro software for assessing the certainty of evidence. Twenty-one studies involving 2393 participants were included in this meta-analysis. Four studies had a low risk of bias, whereas seven had a high risk. Oropharyngeal colostrum significantly reduced the incidence of culture-proven sepsis (18 studies, 1990 neonates, risk ratio [RR]: 0.78, 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 0.65, 0.94), mortality (18 studies, 2117 neonates, RR: 0.73, 95% CI: 0.59, 0.90), necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) (17 studies, 1692 neonates, RR: 0.59, 95% CI: 0.43, 0.82), feeding intolerance episodes (four studies, 445 neonates, RR: 0.59, 95% CI: 0.38, 0.92), and the time to full enteral feeding (19 studies, 2142 neonates, mean difference: -2 to 21 days, 95% CI: -3.44, -0.99 days). There was no reduction in intraventricular hemorrhage, retinopathy of prematurity, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, ventilator-associated pneumonia, neurodevelopmental abnormalities, hospital stay duration, time to full oral feeding, weight at discharge, pneumonia, and duration of antibiotic therapy. The certainty of the evidence was high for the outcomes of culture-positive sepsis and mortality, moderate for NEC, low for time to full enteral feeding, and very low for feeding intolerance. OPCA reduces culture-positive sepsis and mortality (high certainty), NEC (moderate certainty), and time to full enteral feeding (low certainty) in preterm neonates. However, scarcity of data from extremely premature infants limits the generalizability of these results to this population.

Oropharyngeal colostrum immunotherapy and risk reduction of mortality in very low birth weight premature newborns: a clinical trial

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effect of oropharyngeal colostrum immunotherapy (OCI) on the mortality of preterm newborns (PTNB) with very low birth weight (VLBW).

METHOD

Non-randomized clinical trial, carried out with 138 mother-child pairs attended at a public maternity hospital. The treatment group used raw colostrum, dripping 4 drops (0.2 ml) into the oropharyngeal mucosa, totaling 8 administrations in 24 h, up to the 7th complete day of life (OCI). The control group was composed of newborns admitted to the same maternity hospital before the implementation of the OCI. Analyzes were performed: descriptive, bivariate, multiple logistic regression, and survival analysis, with a significance level of 5% and 95% CI.

RESULTS

The treatment group had an RR of death of 0.26 (95% CI = 0.07-0.67; p = 0.00), adjusted for maternal age, marital status, gestational hypertension, type of delivery, number of prenatal visits, and birth weight. Number Needed to Treat (NNT) demonstrated that for every 5 individuals treated with OCI, one death was prevented NNT = 4.9 (95% CI = 1.84-5.20); however, for PTNB with VLBW who remained hospitalized for 50, 100 and 150 days, the NNT reduces to 4, 4 and 3, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The OCI proved to be a beneficial intervention, since it reduced the risk of mortality in PTNB with VLBW when compared to the control group.

Oropharyngeal administration of colostrum targeting gut microbiota and metabolites in very preterm infants: protocol for a multicenter randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Oropharyngeal administration of colostrum (OAC) has an immune-stimulating effect on oropharyngeal-associated lymphoid tissue, and can promote the maturation of the gastrointestinal tract. However, how OAC promotes intestinal maturation in preterm infants by altering gut microbiota remains unclear. We aim to assess changes in gut microbiota and metabolites after OAC in very preterm infants.

METHODS

A multicenter, double-blind, randomized controlled trial will be conducted in three large neonatal intensive care units in Shenzhen, China, with preterm infants with gestational age less than 32 weeks at birth and birth weight less than 1500 g. It is estimated that 320 preterm infants will be enrolled in this study within one year. The intervention group will receive oropharyngeal administration of 0.2 ml colostrum every 3 h, starting between the first 48 to 72 h and continued for 5 consecutive days. Following a similar administration scheme, the control group will receive oropharyngeal administration of sterile water. Stool samples will be collected at the first defecation, as well as on the 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th days after birth for analysis of effect of OAC on gut microbiota and metabolites through 16sRNA gene sequencing and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.

DISCUSSION

This proposal advocates for the promotion of OAC as a safe and relatively beneficial protocol in neonatal intensive care units, which may contribute to the establishment of a dominant intestinal flora. Findings of this study may help improve the health outcomes of preterm infants by establishment of targeted gut microbiota in future studies.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

NCT05481866 (registered July 30, 2022 on ClinicalTrials.gov).

Oropharyngeal application of colostrum or mother's own milk in preterm infants: a systematic review and meta-analysis

CONTEXT

Many preterm neonates often cannot be fed enterally and hence do not receive the benefits of colostrum. Oropharyngeal application of colostrum is a novel way of harnessing the immunological benefits of colostrum. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the efficacy of this approach have shown variable results.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this systematic review was to synthesize available data on the effect of oropharyngeal application of colostrum or mother's own milk (CMOM) in preterm infants.

DATA SOURCES

Six electronic databases (MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library) were searched until January 13, 2022. Only RCTs comparing oral application of CMOM with placebo/routine care in preterm infants were eligible. Studies enrolling term neonates or administering enteral feeds were excluded.

DATA EXTRACTION

Two investigators independently extracted data using a structured proforma.

DATA ANALYSIS

The Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 tool was used to assess bias. Random-effects meta-analysis was undertaken using RevMan 5.4 software. From 2787 records identified, 17 RCTs enrolling 4106 preterm infants were included. There was no significant difference between groups in incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) stage 2 or higher (RR = 0.65; 95%CI, 0.36-1.20; 1089 participants in 12 trials). Application of CMOM significantly reduced the incidence of sepsis (RR = 0.72; 95%CI, 0.56-0.92; 1511 participants in 15 studies) and any stage of NEC (RR = 0.58; 95%CI, 0.37-0.92; 1616 participants in 16 trials). The CMOM group achieved full enteral feeds 1.75 days sooner (95%CI, 0.3-3.2 days; 1580 participants in 14 studies) and had higher weight at discharge (MD = 43.9 g; 95%CI, 3-85 g; 569 participants in 3 studies). There were no statistically significant differences in other outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Evidence with low to very low certainty suggests CMOM has a beneficial effect on NEC (any stage), sepsis, and time to full enteral feeds. Given its low cost and minimal risk of harm, routine CMOM use may be considered in preterm neonates.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42021262763.

Long Duration of Oral Care Using Mother's Own Milk Influences Oral Microbiota and Clinical Outcomes in Very-low-birthweight Infants: Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

Several studies have focused on the clinical outcomes of oral care using colostrum for a limited time (2-5 days) in very-low-birthweight (VLBW) infants. However, the effect of long-term mother's own milk (MOM) on the clinical outcomes and oral microbiota of VLBW infants remains unknown.

METHODS

In this randomized controlled trial, VLBW neonates were randomly assigned to oral care by MOM or sterile water (SW) groups until they started oral feeding. The primary outcome was oral microbiota composition including alpha and beta diversity, relative abundance, and linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe). The secondary outcomes were various morbidities and mortality.

RESULTS

The baseline characteristics of the two groups did not differ (63 neonates, MOM group, n = 30, oral care 22 days; SW group, n = 33, oral care 27 days). There was no significant difference in alpha and beta diversities between the groups before and after the intervention. The MOM group had a significantly lower rate of clinical sepsis than the SW group (47% vs. 76%, risk ratio = 0.62, 95% CI: 0.40-0.97). The relative abundance of Bifidobacterium bifidum and Faecalibacterium were maintained after MOM care, especially in neonates without clinical sepsis, but decreased after SW care. LEfSe showed that neonates in the MOM and SW groups with clinical sepsis had the highest abundance of Pseudomonas and Gammaproteobacteria, respectively, compared with neonates without sepsis.

CONCLUSIONS

A longer duration of oral care using MOM in VLBW infants sustains healthy bacteria and decreases the risk of clinical sepsis.

Colostrum and Preterm Babies: A Systematic Review

Colostrum from mothers is rich in immunomodulating bio-factors such as immunoglobulins (IgA), lactoferrin, and oligosaccharides and supports gut microbial and inflammatory processes. The support in these processes may provide some relief for infants who are born pre-term. Pre-term infants are more likely to develop necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), late-onset sepsis (LOS), and ventilator-acquired/associated pneumonia (VAP). Due to the components of colostrum, there may be incentives towards early administration for preterm infants. An extensive literature review was done using ProQuest, ScienceDirect, and PubMed. Only meta-analyses and experimental studies were used. The search included the keywords 'colostrum and preterm' and 'colostrum and necrotizing enterocolitis'. The initial search generated 13,543 articles and was narrowed to 25 articles through comprehensive inclusion and exclusion criteria. There were significantly higher levels of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium in pre-term infants given colostrum and a decrease in Moraxellaceae and Staphylococcaceae. Salivary secretory IgA increased following oral colostrum administration in pre-term infants along with downregulation of interleukin (IL)-1b and IL-8. It was also observed that tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-a, and interferon-gamma (IFN-g) were significantly higher in the control group. There was no significant difference in the incidence of LOS, NEC, or VAP between pre-term infants receiving colostrum and those who did not. Secondary outcomes such as time to full enteral feeding were improved in pre-term infants receiving oral colostrum in addition to reduced hospital stays. Lastly, there was no difference in mortality between pre-term infants that received colostrum compared to those who did not.

The effect of oropharyngeal colostrum administration on the clinical outcomes of premature infants: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Preterm complications are now the second leading cause of death in children under five years of age. Colostrum is essential to prevent infection and promote maturation in preterm infants. Guidelines recommend that preterm infants be fed colostrum by the oral and pharyngeal routes as early as possible after birth to provide immune protection; however, due to disease and an uncoordinated sucking and swallowing function, it is challenging to provide colostrum through the oropharyngeal route, which limits the immune protection it provides.

OBJECTIVE

To update the existing meta-analysis, evaluate the effect of oropharyngeal colostrum administration on related outcomes in preterm infants and explore the optimal frequency and duration of oropharyngeal colostrum administration through subgroup analysis.

METHODS

The Cochrane Library, PubMed, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Ovid databases were searched for randomized control trials (RCTs) of oropharyngeal colostrum administration for preterm infants. Two researchers screened the literature strictly according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria and evaluated the quality. Primary data and data from the included literature were extracted. Finally, the data were statistically analyzed by the Review Manager 5.3 software.

RESULTS

A total of 1736 preterm infants were included in 16 RCTs. The meta-analysis showed that the incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis, late-onset sepsis, feeding intolerance, and death was lower, the time to full enteral feeding was shorter, and the day of recovery to birth weight was earlier in the intervention group (oropharyngeal colostrum administration group) than in the control group, and this difference was statistically significant. Subgroup analysis: Frequency of oropharyngeal colostrum administration: The incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis and late-onset sepsis in the once every 4 h group was lower than that in the control group, and the time to complete enteral feeding was shorter. Duration of oropharyngeal colostrum administration: In the 1-3 days group and 4-7 days group, the time to full enteral feeding in the intervention group was shorter. In the 8-10 days group, the incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis and late-onset sepsis was lower in the intervention group.

CONCLUSIONS

Oropharyngeal colostrum administration can reduce the incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis, late-onset sepsis, feeding intolerance and mortality, shorten the time to full enteral feeding, and lead to a faster recovery to birth weight in preterm infants. The appropriate oropharyngeal colostrum administration frequency may be 4 h, and the optimal duration may be 8-10 days. Therefore, it is recommended that clinical medical staff implement oropharyngeal colostrum administration for premature infants based on existing evidence.

TWEETABLE ABSTRACT

Oropharyngeal colostrum administration can reduce the incidence of complications in preterm infants and shorten the time to full enteral feeding.

A randomized controlled trial of oropharyngeal therapy with mother's own milk for premature infants

OBJECTIVE

To determine if oropharyngeal therapy with mother's own milk (OPT-MOM) reduces late-onset sepsis (L-OS; primary outcome), NEC, death, length of stay, time to full enteral nutrition (FEN) and full oral feeds in preterm infants (BW < 1250 g).

DESIGN

Infants (N = 220) were randomized to Group A (milk) or B (placebo) and received 0.2 mL every 2 h for 48 h, then every 3 h until 32 weeks CGA.

RESULTS

There were no significant differences in L-OS, NEC or death. Group A trended towards an 8-day reduction in stay, 8-day reduction in time to FEN and a 6-day reduction in time to full oral feeds, compared to B. While clinically relevant, due to large variability in outcomes and lack of power, p values were > 0.05.

CONCLUSION

OPT-MOM did not reduce L-OS, NEC or death. Group A trended towards a reduced stay and better nutritional outcomes, but results were not statistically significant.

CLINICALTRIALS

GOV: NCT02116699.

Oral Application of Mother's Own Milk for Reducing Necrotizing Enterocolitis in Preterm Infants: An Updated Meta-Analysis of RCTs

Background

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and late-onset sepsis (LOS) are the major contributors to mortality and morbidity in preterm infants. This updated meta-analysis was aimed to assess the effects of mother's milk on the incidence of NEC, LOS, and other clinical outcomes in preterm infants.

Methods

PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane library were searched for papers published up to October 2022.

Results

A total of 13 RCTs with 1330 infants were included in the final analysis. Significant difference in NEC (stage 2 or 3) was found between the intervention group and the control group (RR = 0.508, 95% CI: 0.314-0.822, and P=0.008). The incidence of proven LOS (RR = 0.809, 95% CI: 0.610-1.071, and P=0.139) and death (RR = 0.800, 95% CI: 0.571-1.122, and P=0.196) was comparable between the two groups. Statistical differences in the incidence of proven or probable LOS (RR = 0.705, 95% CI: 0.577-0.862, and P=0.001) and length of hospitalization (WMD = -4.868, 95% CI: -6.608 to -3.128, and P < 0.001) between the intervention group and the control group were observed.

Conclusions

The results of this updated meta-analysis showed that compared to the placebo, mother's milk provides better effects in reducing the incidences of NEC, proven or probable LOS, and the length of stay, whereas no significant benefit of mother's milk was observed in reducing the incidence of proven LOS and death.

Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

See Bonus NeoBriefs videos and downloadable teaching slides Intubated infants in the NICU are at risk of developing ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), a common type of health care-associated infection. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention developed guidelines for diagnosing VAP in patients younger than 1 year, which include worsening gas exchange, radiographic findings, and at least 3 defined clinical signs of pneumonia. VAP in infants is treated with empiric antibiotics selected based on local resistance patterns and individualized patient data. Many NICUs have implemented prevention bundles in an effort to decrease VAP by ensuring the cleanest environment for intubated neonates (hand hygiene, sterile handling of equipment), positioning of infants to prevent gastric reflux, and constantly reevaluating for extubation readiness. Although these prevention bundle elements are intuitive and generally low risk, none are based on strong research support. This article reviews the epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of VAP in NICU patients, focusing on recent evidence, highlighting areas of emerging research, and identifying persistent knowledge gaps.

Effect of Breast Milk Oral Care on Mechanically Ventilated Preterm Infants: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

BACKGROUND

The benefits of breast milk oral care in mechanically ventilated preterm infants remain controversial. This study aimed to systematically review the evidence on the benefits of breast milk oral care in mechanically ventilated preterm infants.

METHODS

The randomized controlled trials of breast milk oral care for mechanically ventilated preterm infants were searched in EMBASE, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, WANFANG Date and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases. The retrieval language was limited to Chinese and English, and the final search was conducted until March 2022. Outcome measures included ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), mechanical ventilation time (MVT), length of stay (LOS), necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), late-onset sepsis, mortality during hospitalization, time of full intestinal feeding and time of full oral feeding. Two researchers independently screened the literature, extracted the data, and conducted the literature quality assessment. Meta-analysis was mainly performed using RevMan 5.3.

RESULTS

Eight articles involving 1,046 preterm infants were included. Our meta-analysis showed that compared with the control group, breast milk oral care could reduce the incidence of VAP [RR = 0.41, 95% CI (0.23, 0.75), P = 0.003] and NEC [RR = 0.54, 95% CI (0.30, 0.95), P = 0.03], and shorten the MVT [MD = -0.45, 95% CI (-0.73, -0.18), P = 0.001] and LOS [MD = -5.74, 95% CI (-10.39, -1.10), P = 0.02]. There were no significant differences in the mortality during hospitalization [RR = 0.94, 95% CI (0.67, 1.33), P = 0.74], the incidence of late-onset sepsis [RR = 0.79, 95% CI (0.40, 1.59), P = 0.51], the time of full intestinal feeding [MD = -2.42, 95% CI (-5.37, 0.52), P = 0.11] and the time of full oral feeding [MD = -3.40, 95% CI (-10.70, 3.91), P = 0.36] between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Oral care of breast milk can reduce the incidence of VAP and NEC, shorten MVT and LOS in mechanically ventilated preterm infants. However, due to the quality and quantity limitations of the included studies, larger sample size and more strictly designed clinical trials are still needed in the future to further confirm the findings of this study.

Intervention Effect of Oropharyngeal Administration of Colostrum in Preterm Infants: A Meta-Analysis

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of oropharyngeal administration of colostrum (OAC) in preterm infants.

METHODS

We searched Embase, MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), and the website of the clinical trials, search time was from the establishment of the databases or websites up to 1 February 2022. Preterm infants with gestational age (GA) ≤ 32 weeks or birth weight (BW) ≤ 1500 g were taken as the participants, collect randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of comparing OAC and placebo or no intervention in preterm infants. Two researchers independently screened the literature, extracted the data, and evaluated the quality of the literature, and we adopted Review Manager 5.3 software for meta-analysis.

RESULTS

In total, 11 RCTs (n = 1,173) were included in the review. A meta-analysis showed significant difference in the incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis [NEC; p = 0.009, relative ratio (RR) = 0.51, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.31-0.84], late-onset sepsis (LOS; p = 0.02, RR = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.59-0.95), ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP; p = 0.03, RR = 0.48, 95% CI = 0.24-0.95), the time to reach full enteral feeds (p < 0.00001, mean difference (MD) = -3.40, 95% CI = -3.87 to -2.92), duration of hospital stay (p < 0.00001, MD = -10.00, 95% CI = -11.36 to -8.64), and the rate of weight gain (kg.d; p < 0.00001, MD = 2.63, 95% CI = 2.10-3.16) between the colostrum group and control group. Meanwhile, researchers found no significant difference between the colostrum group and control group in the incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD; p = 0.17, RR = 0.83, 95% CI = 0.64-1.08), intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH; grade ≥3; p = 0.05, RR = 0.44, 95% CI = 0.19-1.01), periventricular leukomalacia (PVL; p = 0.67, RR = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.14-3.49), retinopathy of prematurity (ROP; p = 0.29, RR = 1.25, 95% CI = 0.82-1.89), and patent ductus arteriosus (PDA; p = 0.17, RR = 1.22, 95% CI = 0.92-1.62).

CONCLUSION

Oropharyngeal administration of colostrum can reduce the incidence of NEC, LOS, and VAP in preterm infants, shortening the time to reach full enteral feeds, and duration of hospital stay, and increasing the rate of weight gain (kg.d). Therefore, OAC can be used as part of routine care for preterm infants.