COMPARISON OF 2 TYPES OF INTRAVENOUS IMMUNOGLOBULINS IN THE TREATMENTOF NEONATAL SEPSIS

In a prospective double-blind study, standard intravenous immunoglobul in (IVIG) was compared with an IgM-enriched IVIG in the treatment of n eonatal sepsis. The two treatment groups were also compared with match ed controls. One hundred and thirty babies (65 in each group) ranging from 0 to 24 days old, 480 to 4200 g in weight and born between 24 and 42 weeks of gestation who had, or were suspected of having, sepsis we re given either standard IVIG or IgM-enriched IVIG (250 mg/kg per day) for 4 days in addition to supportive and antibiotic therapy. A furthe r 65 babies who received similar supportive, antibiotic and fluids but not IVIG were used as matched controls. Mortality from infection in ' culture proven sepsis' was 3/44 (6.8%) in the IgM-enriched IVIG group, 6/42 (14.2%) in the standard IVIG group, and 11/43 (25.5%) in the con trol group (P = 0.017, IgM versus control, P = 0.19 standard IVIG veps us control). There was no statistical difference in the outcome betwee n the two immunoglobulin therapy groups (P = 0.25). The study indicate s that IVIG improves outcome in neonatal sepsis when used as an adjunc t to supportive and antibiotic therapy, but larger studies are require d to confirm this.