title: Erythropoietin as treatment for late hyporegenerative anemia in neonates with Rh hemolytic disease after in utero exchange transfusion.
abstract: We report the effects of recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) in the treatment of late hyporegenerative anemia in 2 neonates with Rh hemolytic disease who had received several in utero exchange transfusions. In both cases anemia occurred at 6 weeks of age and we started therapy at approximately 70 days of age. We used rHuEPO at 250 U/kg three times a week. We also used high-dose intravenous immunoglobulin therapy. One week after initiation of erythropoietin treatment, an increase in reticulocyte count and Hb level was noted in our 2 patients. They did not require further erythrocyte transfusions but they already had received two transfusions after birth. There were no side effects attributable to rHuEPO treatment.
authors.affiliation: Service de Médecine Infantile et Néonatologie, Hôpital Nord, Marseille, France. cgire@ap-hm.fr
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nicaise
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gire
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Casha
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: d'Ercole
authors.forename: Cécile
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chau
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Palix
mesh_terms: D000741:Anemia, Aplastic / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001805:Blood Transfusion, Intrauterine; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005078:Exchange Transfusion, Whole Blood; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012203:Rh Isoimmunization / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D004921:Erythropoietin