A prospective controlled trial of oral kanamycin in the prevention of neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis

Alimentary kanamycin, 15 mg/kg/day, was given as prophylaxis for neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis in a prospective study. Newborn infants of less than 1,500 gm birth weight who survived until initiation of alimentary nutrition at the University of Florida Neonatal Intensive Care Unit were admitted to a control or study group based on the last digit of the hospital number. Alimentary kanamycin was not absorbed; all blood levels determined were less than 0.5 μg/ml. The two groups had similar gestational ages, birth weights, severity of neonatal illness, and frequency of therapeutic procedures. In the study group of 35 infants, none developed neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis, whereas five cases occurred in the 40 control infants (p=0.038).