Intravenous immunoglobulin for prophylaxis or treatment of bacterial infection in neonates.

The high rate of bacterial infection in premature neonates has been correlated with low levels of opsonic antibody. Infants born at term who develop a bacterial infection generally have very low levels of antibody toward the organisms with which they are infected. In order to provide adequate levels of antibacterial antibody to neonates, several strategies have been devised and tested. In this report, studies on animal investigations and clinical trials are reviewed.