Long-term outcome in relationship to neonatal transfusion volume in extremely premature infants: a comparative cohort study
2011

Impact of Blood Transfusion Volume on Premature Infants' Development

Sample size: 67 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Jeannette S von Lindern, Chantal M Khodabux, Karien EA Hack, Ingrid C van Haastert, Corine Koopman-Esseboom, Paul HT van Zwieten, Anneke Brand, Frans J Walther

Primary Institution: Leiden University Medical Center

Hypothesis

Does the volume of red blood cell transfusion affect long-term outcomes in extremely premature infants?

Conclusion

Higher transfusion volumes did not improve long-term outcomes in extremely premature infants.

Supporting Evidence

  • The study included 67 infants who were followed up at a mean corrected age of 24 months.
  • No significant differences were found in the composite outcome based on transfusion volume.
  • The total transfused volume was significantly different between the two units.

Takeaway

This study looked at how much blood premature babies get and if it helps them grow up healthy. It found that getting more blood didn't make a difference.

Methodology

Observational follow-up study comparing two groups of extremely premature infants receiving different transfusion volumes.

Potential Biases

Potential biases due to non-standardized assessments and retrospective design.

Limitations

The study was retrospective and non-randomized, and different assessment methods were used across hospitals.

Participant Demographics

Infants born before 28 weeks gestation, treated in two Dutch NICUs.

Statistical Information

P-Value

0.96

Confidence Interval

0.9-1.1

Statistical Significance

p = 0.02

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1471-2431-11-48

Want to read the original?

Access the complete publication on the publisher's website

View Original Publication