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

Gülcan Türker; Nazan Sarper; Ayşe Sevim Gökalp; Hale Usluer

doi:10.1055/s-2005-918888

American Journal of Perinatology, Table of Contents

Am J Perinatol 2005; 22(8): 449-455
DOI: 10.1055/s-2005-918888

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

Abstract

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

Full Text

References

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Gülcan TürkerM.D.

Kocaeli Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, Çocuk Sağlığı ve

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