title: Effects of bovine colostrum on recurrent respiratory tract infections and diarrhea in children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Bovine colostrum (BC) has direct antimicrobial and endotoxin-neutralizing effects throughout the alimentary tract, as well as other bioactivities that suppress gut inflammation and promote mucosal integrity and tissue repair under various conditions related to tissue injury. The precise role of BC in respiratory and gastrointestinal (GI) infections in children is not well defined. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of BC administration in preventing recurrent upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) and diarrhea in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred sixty children (aged 1-6 years) having recurrent episodes of URTI or diarrhea received BC for 4 weeks. The number of episodes of URTI, diarrhea, and frequency of hospitalization required for URTI and diarrhea occurring during the study period were assessed at weeks 8 and 24.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From a total number of 160 children, 81 patients (50.63%) were males. The mean age (± SD) was 3.65 (± 2.01) years. The mean (± SD) total number of infections was significantly decreased after BC therapy from 8.6 ± 5.1 at baseline to 5.5 ± 1.2 after 2 months (P < 0.001) and to 5.7 ± 1.6 after 6 months (P < 0.001). The mean (± SD) total number of URTI (P < 0.0001), number of episodes of diarrhea (P < 0.001), and number of hospital admissions (P < 0.001) were significantly decreased after BC therapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BC is effective in the prophylaxis of recurrent URTI and diarrhea as it reduces the number of episodes and the hospitalization due to these infections. Results of this study suggest that BC could be provided as a therapeutic option for children with recurrent URTI and diarrhea.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University Department of Pediatrics, Qena Faculty of Medicine, South Valley University Department of Community Health Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Assiut University Department of pediatrics, faculty of medicine, Al-Azhar university Department of Pharmaceutics and Industrial Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Egypt.
authors.forename: Khaled
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Saad
authors.forename: Mohamed Gamil M
authors.initials: MGM
authors.lastname: Abo-Elela
authors.forename: Khaled A Abd
authors.initials: KAA
authors.lastname: El-Baseer
authors.forename: Ahmed E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Faisal-Alkhateeb
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.forename: Mostafa S K
authors.initials: MSK
authors.lastname: Tawfeek
authors.forename: Amira A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: El-Houfey
authors.forename: Mohamed Diab
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Aboul Khair
authors.forename: Ahmad M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Abdel-Salam
authors.forename: Amir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abo-Elgheit
authors.forename: Heba
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Qubaisy
authors.forename: Ahmed M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: Eman
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Abdel-Mawgoud
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003126:Colostrum; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012008:Recurrence; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D055502:Secondary Prevention