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Am J Perinatol 2005; 22(8): 449-455
DOI: 10.1055/s-2005-918888
Copyright © 2005 by Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc., 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

The Effect of Early Recombinant Erythropoietin and Enteral Iron Supplementation on Blood Transfusion in Preterm Infants

Gülcan Türker1 , Nazan Sarper2 , Ayşe Sevim Gökalp1 , Hale Usluer1
  • 1Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Kocaeli University, Kocaeli, Turkey
  • 2Division of Haematology, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Kocaeli University, Kocaeli, Turkey
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Publication Date:
19 October 2005 (online)

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ABSTRACT

Premature infants < 1500 g were randomly assigned to study and control groups. In the study group, 42 premature infants received recombinant human erythropoietin (r-Hu EPO) 750 U/kg per week subcutaneously from day 5 to 40 and enteral iron supplementation of 2 to 6 mg/kg/d beginning on day 14 provided that they were receiving at least 50% energy intake orally. In the control group, 51 infants received the same dose of enteral iron supplementation beginning at the end of the fourth week. At the end of a 12-week monitoring period, r-Hu EPO combined with early enteral iron reduced transfusion needs only in the subgroup < 1000 g. r-Hu EPO and early iron treatment had no effect on the development of severe retinopathy of prematurity, intraventricular hemorrhage, necrotizing enterocolitis, and bronchopulmonary dysplasia. We suggest that r-Hu EPO combined with early enteral iron is both effective and safe in infants < 1000 g.

KEYWORDS

Erythropoietin - early iron supplementation - transfusion

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Gülcan TürkerM.D. 

Kocaeli Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, Çocuk Sağlığı ve

Hastalıkları Anabilim Dalı, Sopalı, Derince 41900, Kocaeli, Turkey