title: Effect of Nigella sativa seed administration on prevention of febrile neutropenia during chemotherapy among children with brain tumors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Seeds of Nigella sativa (NS) are used to combat various disease conditions through their antibacterial effects. To evaluate the seeds' potential, we studied their effect on the prevention of febrile neutropenia (FN) in children with brain tumors.
  
  
  METHODS
  A randomized pretest-post-test control group study including 80 children (2-18 years) with brain tumors undergoing chemotherapy were equally allocated into two groups. Intervention group received 5 g of NS seeds daily throughout treatment while controls received nothing. CBC with differentials, incidence of FN, and LOS were noted on each follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The majority of children 38/40 (95%), of the intervention group, took the seeds for 3-9 consecutive months. Eight out of 372 (2.2%) FN episodes were experienced by children of intervention group compared to controls 63/327 (19.3%) (p = 0.001) and a shorter LOS (median = 2.5 days) vs 5 days in the control group (p = 0.006). Children in both groups belonged to almost same geographical area with similar socio-economic background. Weights of children were almost equal at diagnosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  NS seeds showed a decrease in incidence of FN in children with brain tumors with shortening of subsequent LOS which may improve their outcome and thereby quality of life. Larger scale studies are needed to further evaluate the seeds' potential.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, High Institution of Public Health, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt. drheba_fmoussa@yahoo.com.|, Buraidah, Al-Qassim, Saudi Arabia. drheba_fmoussa@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: HebatAlla Fathi Mohamed
authors.initials: HFM
authors.lastname: Mousa
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, High Institution of Public Health, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
authors.forename: Nesrin Kamal
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Abd-El-Fatah
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, High Institution of Public Health, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
authors.forename: Olfat Abdel-Hamid
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Darwish
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
authors.forename: Shehata Farag
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Shehata
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
authors.forename: Shady Hassan
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Fadel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D064147:Febrile Neutropenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D031881:Nigella sativa; D012639:Seeds; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents
keywords: Black seed; Febrile neutropenia; Nigella sativa; Nutrition; Pediatric brain tumors; Pediatric oncology