Science / Medicine : Treating Preemie Affliction

Baby formula containing antibodies found in mother’s milk appears to prevent a potentially fatal digestive complication that commonly afflicts premature infants, researchers say.

Dr. Alfred Rosenkranz and his colleagues at the University of Vienna reported in the New England Journal of Medicine that the special formula sharply reduced the risk of a disorder known as necrotizing enterocolitis.

Up to 5% of babies being treated in intensive care units develop necrotizing entercolitis, in which the lining of the bowel becomes damaged and can cause serious bleeding and other complications. There is no known way to prevent the disorder.

In the new study, the Austrian researchers gave formula containing two antibodies--known as IgA and IgG--to 88 premature babies and compared them to 91 underweight babies who did not receive the special formula.