title: New uses of intravenous immune globulin in newborn infants.
abstract: Preterm infants are hypogammaglobulinemic at birth, a condition that worsens during the first several weeks of life. It has been postulated that periodic infusions of intravenous immune globulin in preterm infants might prevent systemic infections after age 7 days, but clinical trials have been inconclusive. To test this hypothesis in neonates weighing 500 to 1750 g at birth, a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was initiated. Either intravenous immune globulin (500 mg/kg) (284 infants) or placebo (5% albumin-normal saline, 10 ml/kg) (293 infants) was infused periodically for 8 weeks. Infusions were well tolerated. Mortality (4%) was similar in both groups. However, the incidence of systemic infection was significantly reduced in the treatment group, but only in those weighing less than 1500 g. More than 80% of infections were bacterial; half were caused by staphylococci. Standard use of intravenous immune globulin in preterm infants looks promising but must await full analysis of data from this and another ongoing multicenter trial.
authors.affiliation: Baylor College of Medicine, Houston 77030.
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Baker
mesh_terms: D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006801:Humans; D007116:Immunization, Passive; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G