Ciprofloxacin administration to very low birth weight babies has no effect on linear growth in infancy

Area of Science:

• Neonatalogy
• Pediatric Pharmacology
• Growth and Development

Background:

• Limited data exists on the long-term effects of neonatal ciprofloxacin on very low birth weight (VLBW) infant growth.
• Assessing the impact of early antibiotic exposure on infant development is crucial for clinical practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether intravenous ciprofloxacin administration during the neonatal period affects linear growth in VLBW infants up to 12 months corrected age.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study of VLBW infants followed to 12 months corrected age.
• Cases received intravenous ciprofloxacin (10 mg/kg/dose q12h) for ≥3 days neonatally; controls did not receive ciprofloxacin.
• Exclusion criteria included neurological abnormalities, congenital malformations, and chronic illnesses.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in length at 12 months corrected age was observed between the 61 cases and 144 controls (71.9 ± 3.0 cm vs. 71.7 ± 3.3 cm; p=0.95).
• Multivariate analysis identified length at 40 weeks post-conceptional age and sex as independent predictors of 12-month length.
• Neonatal ciprofloxacin exposure did not correlate with altered linear growth at 12 months corrected age.

Conclusions:

• Neonatal administration of ciprofloxacin at 10 mg/kg/dose every 12 hours for at least 3 days does not adversely affect the linear growth of VLBW infants through 12 months corrected age.
• Clinical use of ciprofloxacin in VLBW neonates appears safe concerning long-term linear growth.
• Further research could explore other developmental outcomes.