Significantly less gastrointestinal side effects were reported with lactoferrin treatment .
No significant differences existed with regard to other outcomes .
In conclusion , for pregnant women with IDA , daily oral bovine lactoferrin is just as good as ferrous sulfate in improving hematological parameters with fewer gastrointestinal side effects .
This systematic review and meta- analysis aim ed to evaluate the efficacy of daily oral bovine lactoferrin versus daily oral ferrous iron preparations for treatment of iron deficiency anemia ( IDA ) during pregnancy .
Influence of lactoferrin in preventing preterm delivery: a pilot study.
Lactoferrin ( Lf ) is an approximately 80-kDa iron-binding glycoprotein , belonging to the transferrin family , with well-known bacteriostatic and bactericidal properties . It is produced and stored in specific ( secondary ) neutrophil granules and released during neutrophil activation and degranulation . Nowadays , Lf has a well-known therapeutic indication for combating iron deficiency anemia ( IDA ) in pregnant women . Studies suggest that Lf plays an important role against cervicovaginal infections by decreasing cytokines levels , such as interleukin (IL)-6 , in cervicovaginal fluid . The aim of this preliminary trial was to evaluate the effectiveness of Lf in preventing preterm delivery caused by cervical infections and ripening . From November 2009 to August 2010 , 21 pregnant women ( 26 - 32 weeks pregnant ) , aged between 22 and 36 years , suffering from IDA , at risk of preterm delivery , were prospect ively enrolled in the study . One group ( N=14 ) received 100 mg of recombinant human lactoferrin ( bLf ) [ corrected ] ( lattoferrina ; AG-pharma ) twice a day before meals , for one month . The other group ( N=7 ) received 520 mg of ferrous sulfate ( Ferro-Grad ; Abbott Laboratories , USA ) once a day . The patients underwent  transvaginal ultrasound  to evaluate cervical length and funneling , and vaginal swabs were used to detect infections and cervicovaginal fluid sample collection to determine IL-6 levels . The results showed a correlation between the oral administration of 200 mg of bLf [ corrected ] with both the normalization of vaginal flora ( vaginal infection disappearance ) and the decrease in IL-6 cervicovaginal fluid levels in women at risk of preterm delivery
Significantly less gastrointestinal side effects were reported with lactoferrin treatment .
No significant differences existed with regard to other outcomes .
In conclusion , for pregnant women with IDA , daily oral bovine lactoferrin is just as good as ferrous sulfate in improving hematological parameters with fewer gastrointestinal side effects .
This systematic review and meta- analysis aim ed to evaluate the efficacy of daily oral bovine lactoferrin versus daily oral ferrous iron preparations for treatment of iron deficiency anemia ( IDA ) during pregnancy .