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Recombinant human erythropoietin therapy in low‐birthweight preterm infants: A prospective controlled study
Author(s) -
Arif Bahar,
Ferhan Karademir
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
pediatrics international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.49
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1442-200X
pISSN - 1328-8067
DOI - 10.1111/j.1442-200x.2005.02007.x
Subject(s) - medicine , erythropoietin , hematocrit , anemia , gestational age , hemoglobin , pediatrics , prospective cohort study , birth weight , reticulocyte , gastroenterology , pregnancy , biochemistry , chemistry , genetics , messenger rna , gene , biology
Background: This study aimed to detect the effectiveness of recombinant human erythropoietin therapy in preventing premature anemia in low‐birthweight preterm infants.Methods: A total of 292 premature infants who were born earlier than 33 gestational weeks and smaller than 1500 g birthweight were enrolled into the study. In addition to their conventional supportive therapy (medications), recombinant human erythropoietin 200 U/kg twice a week, subcutaneously, was given to randomly selected 142 premature infants for 6 weeks. The blood count variables and need for transfusions were compared with the remaining 150 premature infants during 6 months follow up.Results: Serum erythropoietin levels were 11.3 ± 6.1 mU/mL and 38.3 ± 19.1 mU/mL in the erythropoietin group before and at the fourth week of the study, respectively ( P < 0.001). Reticulocyte counts of the group treated with erythropoietin were 146 × 10 6 ± 28 × 10 6 /mL and 122 × 10 6 ± 27 × 10 6 /mL at the fourth and seventh week of the study, respectively, and these values were significantly higher when compared with the control group ( P < 0.001 and P < 0.001). At the same period, hematocrit values were also found to be higher in the treatment group than the control group ( P < 0.001). Serum ferritin levels were lower in the treatment group compared with the control group at the fourth week of the study. No side‐effects related to erythropoietin usage were encountered. The need for packed cell transfusions were 47% in the group treated with erythropoietin and 62.6% in the control group. A statistically significant difference was found for transfusion needs between the control and treatment groups ( P < 0.001).Conclusion: Recombinant erythropoietin is effective therapy for maintaining stable hematocrit levels in low‐birthweight preterm infants and prevents the need for blood transfusions.