PREVENTIVE EPO TREATMENT FOR THE ANEMIA OF PREMATURITY: IN WHICH NEONATES IS EFFECTIVE

To assess whether EPO treatment is safe and reduces the need for transfusion we randomized 34 preterm infants (BW: 1187 ± 180g, GA: 28,7±1,8w) to an EPO and a comparable control group (CON). EPO 150 U/kg was given s.c. every third day for six weeks, early from the 1st week of life. Hematologic parameters, transfusion requirements and growth were followed during therapy and for six months thereafter. To better assess in which neonates EPO treatment was effective we classiffied the EPO and CON groups into uncomplicated neonates (A) and neonates requiring artificial ventilation (B). There were significant differences in reticulocytes between both uncomplicated and on ventilation neonates in the EPO group compared to respective control groups. However the need for transfusion was singificantly, less only in the uncomplicated EPO group, but not in the neonates on ventilation (Table).