Calfactant (Infasurf)
Infasurf is a lung surfactant made from calf lung (bovine). This is the medicine itself. It is given to premature babies whose lungs cannot yet stay open on their own.
What this means
Infasurf is a lung surfactant; it helps the lungs stay open. No plant or synthetic lung surfactant is available in the US; every available surfactant comes from animal lung. Infasurf is cow-derived; Survanta is cow-derived; Curosurf is pig-derived. Talk to your doctor about your treatment.
- This is given in the hospital by the NICU team; there is nothing to manage at home.
- If the source matters to your family, tell the care team and ask them to note it.
- Bring this to a scholar you trust; the necessity here concerns a child's life.
This answered your Infasurf question. What about your other medications?
Infasurf is animal-derived in the medicine itself, so the answer is the same whoever makes it. Most medications are different: the animal ingredient is a hidden one, like the gelatin in a capsule or a coating, and its source changes depending on which manufacturer made your bottle. The label never says which.
A licensed pharmacist asks the manufacturer of your exact medication, in writing, and reports the stated source. Check one of your medications →