Application Effect of Colostrum Oral Immunotherapy in the Early Stage of Mechanical Ventilation for Very Low Birth Weight Preterm Infants

Liduan Li, Yanzhu Lin, Ting Huang, Chunyan Lin NICU, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou, Fujian, 362000, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Chunyan Lin, Email [email protected]: This study aims to evaluate the impact of C-OIT on outcomes of VLBW preterm infants during early mechanical ventilation.Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on preterm infants with birth weight < 1500g who received mechanical ventilation and were admitted to the Pediatric Department of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University from December 2022 to December 2024. Participants were divided into intervention group (received C-OIT) and control group (received normal saline oral immunotherapy). Propensity score matching (PSM) was applied to balance baseline characteristics between groups, with comparisons made regarding primary outcomes (intervention efficacy, feeding capacity, feeding effectiveness, immune function) and secondary outcomes (developmental level, adverse reactions).Results: After PSM, 50 cases were included in each group. Baseline characteristics showed no statistically significant differences between groups (P> 0.05), ensuring comparability. The intervention group exhibited shorter mechanical ventilation duration and hospital stay compared to the control group. Post-treatment scores and total scores of PIOFRA were higher in the intervention group. The intervention group showed shorter initiation time for oral feeding, complete oral feeding time, and birth weight recovery time. Levels of secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) and lactoferrin in airway secretions and urine were elevated in the intervention group post-treatment. Post-intervention body weight, head circumference, and body length were greater in the intervention group. The incidence of adverse reactions was significantly lower in the intervention group. All intergroup differences were statistically significant (P< 0.05).Conclusion: Colostrum Oral Immunotherapy demonstrates significant application effects in early mechanical ventilation for very low birth weight preterm infants. It not only shortens mechanical ventilation duration but also improves feeding tolerance and effectiveness, enhances immune function to promote infant development, while reducing the occurrence of clinical adverse reactions.Keywords: colostrum oral immunotherapy, very low birth weight infants, mechanical ventilation, preterm infant development, immune function