Neurodevelopmental outcome of prematurely born children treated with recombinant human erythropoietin in infancy.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the neurodevelopmental outcome of premature infants treated with recombinant human erythropoietin with that of control infants.


METHODS
A total of 20 treated infants and 20 control infants who had completed randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies of recombinant human erythropoietin as treatment for anemia of prematurity were followed for growth and developmental outcome in an intensive care nursery follow-up program. Infants were assessed by standard developmental tests.


RESULTS
No differences were found between groups for neurologic outcome, cognitive outcome, or growth patterns. All infants treated with recombinant human erythropoietin were neurologically normal. The rate of cognitive deficits was similar in the two groups.


CONCLUSIONS
In this small sample we did not see differences in neurodevelopmental outcome between infants treated with recombinant human erythropoietin and control infants.
Newton
N R
NR
Pediatric Clinical Research Center, University of California, San Francisco 94143, USA.
Leonard
C H
CH
Piecuch
R E
RE
Phibbs
R H
RH
D002657:Child Development; D003071:Cognition; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D009420:Nervous System / Q000254:growth & development*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012016:Reference Values
D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D004921:Erythropoietin