The effectiveness of umbilical cord milking/ delayed cord clamping and recombinant human erythropoietin in reducing red blood cell transfusions in extremely and very low birth weight infants

Abstract

Anemia of prematurity is one of the most common and serious problems of neonatology. The main focus is to prevent of anemia in preterm infants. The aim of the study was to assess effectiveness of umbilical cord milking/delayed cord clamping and erythropoietin therapy in reducing red blood cell transfusions in extremely and very low birth weight infants. This clinical study was approved by the Commission on ethics of biomedical research (Protocol No. 12 November 17, 2016) and approved by the Scientific Council of National Medical Research Center for obstetrics, gynecology and perinatology named academician V.I. Kulakov of the ministry of Healthcare of the Russian Federation (Protocol No. 19 of November 29, 2016). Analysis of 482 extremely and very low birth weight infants was conducted (from 2008 to 2018). Umbilical cord milking or delayed umbilical cord clamping, both, and in combination with recombinant human erythropoietin therapy, decreasing the phlebotomy losses significantly reduces the need for transfusions of red blood cells in extremely and very low birth weight infants. The effectiveness of erythropoietin therapy, time of its start and various treatment schemes remain controversial, therefore further researches are necessary.