STAFF at a Bradford hospital have been celebrating the recruitment of the 100th and 101st babies on to a major neonatal research trial.

Twin girls Ayat and Hiba Wadood were born in the neonatal unit at Bradford Royal Infirmary on May 15, after just 25 weeks and six days in the womb.

Twenty per cent of babies born before 32 weeks catch a serious infections, so a trial has been set up to try and lower the rate.

The ELFIN study, which is a nationwide trial, involves giving premature babies an infection-reducing protein found in cow’s milk, called lactoferrin, to see what its effect is.

Ayat and Hiba are the daughters of Sara Wadood and Sajid Hussain.

Ms Wadood was full of support for BRI's neonatal unit.

She said: "We are so grateful that our babies are in such a wonderful facility and are being given the chance to be involved in this ground-breaking research."

Mr Hussain added "It is so important that we take part in these trials because the outcomes really can help other babies in the future.”

The lactoferrin, which is in powder form and mixed with mum’s breast milk and water to make a 1.5 millilitre dose, is given once a day.

The babies are also taking part in the Prevail trial, which compares standard intravenous feeding lines with those impregnated with antibiotics.

Kelly Young, the lead research nurse at BRI, explained that lactoferrin naturally occurred in breast milk. She said introducing babies to it may reduce their risk of infections by up to 50 per cent.

"We are really pleased to be taking part in the ELFIN trial because the [Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation] Trust is passionate about research and the importance of it," she said.

"We know what a difference research can make, and it's important we offer our parents the opportunity for their babies to be involved in these trials.

"This is a trial which has the potential to make a real difference to the long-term outcomes of babies’ health, because it could prevent the late onset of infections which can impact negatively on premature babies and in some cases be life-threatening."

So far, 538 babies from 20 centres across the country have been recruited on to the trial, with Bradford’s contribution making up almost 20 per cent of the total.

The national target for the trial, which is sponsored by the University of Oxford, is 2,200 babies.

Consultant Neonatologist Sam Oddie, who is the principal investigator at BRI, has been involved with the trial from the start.

"From the beginning we have been right behind this trial - we recruited the first patient - and are very pleased to have recruited so many babies to ELFIN," he said.

"We have found that parents are very happy to join in studies if we take the time to explain them carefully; indeed many families are very content to join more than one study.

"The results are a bit of a way off yet but we are really hopeful that ELFIN will be an important part of the answer as to whether all very early babies should be given supplementary lactoferrin."

To be eligible for the trial, babies have to be born before 32 weeks and remain on the trial until they reach 34 weeks.

The trial will close in December 2017 and the results will then be evaluated by the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, with the results expected in late 2018.