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Blood product transfusion practices in neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy

Journal of Perinatology volume 44, pages 1485–1490 (2024)Cite this article

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Abstract

Objective

Blood product transfusion is a common practice in infants with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) undoing therapeutic hypothermia (TH). The advantages and disadvantages of conservative or liberal transfusion practices in this fragile population are unknown. Study aims to characterize the transfusion practices in infants with HIE and investigate the association with outcome.

Study design

We conducted a retrospective cohort study at a single level IV NICU, evaluating transfusion thresholds, as well as the association between hematological abnormalities or blood product transfusions and outcomes in infants admitted with HIE.

Result

By univariate analysis, FFP transfusion was associated with increased in-hospital death. However, multivariate analysis adjusting for HIE severity demonstrated no association between hematological abnormality or blood product transfusion and death, nor with neurodevelopmental impairment.

Conclusion

No association was found between hematological blood product transfusion and death or neurodevelopmental impairment in a retrospective single NICU study of infants with HIE.

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Fig. 1: Consort Flow Diagram.

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Data availability

Summarized and de-identified data will be made available upon reasonable request.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Neonatology, Department of Paediatrics, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, M5G 1×8, Canada

    Atiyeh A. Miran, Mehmet Nevzat Cizmeci, Amr El Shahed, Rosanna Yankanah, Ashley Danguecan, Linh Ly & Brian T. Kalish

  2. Department of Paediatrics, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, M5G 1×8, Canada

    Michelle Stoopler

  3. Ted Rogers Computational Program, Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, University Health Network, 200 Elizabeth Street, Toronto, ON, M5G 2C4, Canada

    Marisa Signorile, Kyle Runeckles & Chun-Po Steve Fan

  4. Program in Neuroscience and Mental Health, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, ON, M5G 1L7, Canada

    Brian T. Kalish

  5. Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5G 1A8, Canada

    Brian T. Kalish

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  1. Atiyeh A. Miran
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Contributions

BTK and AAM conceptualized the study. AAM, MS, and AD collected the data. AAM, MS, MS, KR, and CSF analyzed the data. BTK, AAM, MS, and MNC wrote the manuscript, which was then reviewed and edited by AES, RY, and LL.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Brian T. Kalish.

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Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Ethics approval and consent to participate

All methods were performed in accordance with regulations from the Research Ethics Board at the Hospital for Sick Children. This study was approved by The Hospital for Sick Children Research Ethics Board (# 1000079302), which granted a waiver of informed consent given the retrospective nature of the study design.

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Miran, A.A., Stoopler, M., Cizmeci, M.N. et al. Blood product transfusion practices in neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. J Perinatol 44, 1485–1490 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-024-02092-1

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