title: Effect of high doses of human recombinant erythropoietin on the need for blood transfusions in preterm infants.
abstract: To determine whether prophylactic treatment with recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) and iron would reduce the need for blood transfusions, we randomly assigned 22 premature infants with gestational ages less than or equal to 32 weeks and birth weights less than or equal to 1.75 kg to receive rHuEPO, 400 IU/kg three times a week, plus iron, 20 mg/wk intravenously, from the second day of life (11 infants), or no rHuEPO and no iron (11 infants). The two groups had similar birth weights and clinical variables. The treated infants required fewer blood transfusions (0.8 +/- 1.5 vs 3.1 +/- 2.1; p = 0.01) and less volume of packed erythrocytes (14.2 +/- 25.9 vs 48.4 +/- 34.0 ml/kg; p = 0.02). The amounts of blood sampled were not different (19.5 +/- 21.1 vs 27.8 +/- 19.1 ml/kg; p = 0.35). Reticulocyte and hematocrit values were higher in the treated group (4.46% +/- 0.8% vs 1.49% +/- 1.1% (p = 0.0001) and 48.1% +/- 7.3% vs 43.8% +/- 4.7% (p = 0.004), respectively). No side effects of either rHuEPO or intravenously administered iron were noted. These data indicate that rHuEPO, in combination with iron supplementation, is effective in reducing the need for blood transfusions in the premature infant. More information is needed on dosage, timing, and iron and vitamin supplementation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Carnielli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Montini
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Da Riol
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dall'Amico
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cantarutti
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D017707:Erythrocyte Transfusion; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006400:Hematocrit; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D007501:Iron / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012156:Reticulocytes / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D004921:Erythropoietin; D007501:Iron