title: Clinical studies of lactoferrin in children.
abstract: Much has been learned in recent years about the mechanisms by which breastfeeding improves child health and survival. However, there has been little progress in using these insights to improve pediatric care. The aim of this study was to review all clinical studies of lactoferrin (LF) in children in an effort to determine which interventions may improve pediatric care or require further research. We conducted a systematic and critical review of published literature and found 19 clinical studies that have used human or bovine LF for different outcomes: iron metabolisms and anemia (6 studies), fecal flora (5 studies), enteric infections (3 studies), common pediatric illnesses (1 study), immunomodulation (3 studies), and neonatal sepsis (1 study). Although the efficacies have varied in each trial, the main finding of all published studies is the safety of the intervention. Protection against enteric infections and neonatal sepsis are the most likely biologically relevant activities of LF in children. Future studies on neonatal sepsis should answer critically important questions. If the data from these sepsis studies are proven to be correct, it will profoundly affect the treatment of low birth weight neonates and will aid in the reduction of child mortality worldwide.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Instituto de Medicina Tropical Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Av. Honorio Delgado 430, San Martin de Porras, Lima 33, Perú. Theresa.J.Ochoa@uth.tmc.edu
authors.forename: Theresa J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Ochoa
authors.forename: Alonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pezo
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cruz
authors.forename: Elsa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chea-Woo
authors.forename: Thomas G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Cleary
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002662:Child Health Services; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D056747:Immunomodulation; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D019189:Iron Metabolism Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy; D007781:Lactoferrin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018805:Sepsis / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D007781:Lactoferrin