All issues > Volume 39(5); 1996

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1996;39(5):631-640. Published online May 15, 1996.

Effect of Recombinant Human Erythropoietin on the Anemia of Premature Infants

Young Ah YA Lee¹, Ki Soo KS Kim¹, Young Seo YS Park¹, Hyung Nam HN Moon¹, Chang Yee CY Hong¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, Ulsan University Medical School, and Asan medical Center, Seoul, Korea

Abstract

Purpose
: To determine whether the prophylactic treatment with recombinant human erythropoietin(rHuEPO) for the anemia of prematurity would reduce the need for blood transfusions.
Methods
: We randomly assigned 17 premature infants to therHuEPO group and the control group. For the rHuEPO group (n=9, birth weight=1210¡¾156 g, gestational age=31.7¡¾1.9wk), rHuEPO (400U/kg) was given three times a week for 4 weeks, plus iron (8 mg/kg/day) and vitamin E (25 IU/day). The same amount of vitamin E was only given for the control group (n=8,birth weight=1266¡¾204 g, gestational age=30.0¡¾1.9wk).
Results
: Reticulocyte counts and hematocrit values were higher in the rHuEPO group than the control group at the 4 week of study (10.0¡¾1.5% vs. 5.5¡¾2.1%: p<0.05 and 25.6¡¾4.0% vs. 31.0¡¾1.5%: p<0.05). Also, hemoglobin F were higher in the rHuEPO group than the control group at the 4 week of study (76.2¡¾8.1% vs. 27.2¡¾33.3 %: p<0.05). The rHuEPO treatment group required fewer blood transfusions during the study period (1.25 vs. 0.11: p<0.05). And the complications such as leukopenia, thrombocytosis and infection did not develop during the study period. There was no evidence of irondeficiency state in the both groups.
Conclusion
: The rHuEPO treatment, in combination with iron supplementation, prevented the anemia of prematurity and reduced the need for blood transfusion in the prematureinfants.

Keywords :Recombinant Human Erythropoietin, Anemia of Prematurity