| Abstract: | Objective.?To evaluate cord blood erythropoietin (EPO) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels to predict preterm infants at risk of developing intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH).Methods.?Levels of umbilical cord EPO, acid–base status and IL-6 were analyzed in 116 consecutive, preterm newborns (GA at delivery: 29 23–34 ] weeks) born to mothers who had a clinically indicated amniocentesis to rule out infection. Early-onset neonatal sepsis (EONS) was diagnosed using symptoms, hematological criteria and blood cultures.Results.?IVH was diagnosed by cranial ultrasounds. The prevalence of IVH in our population was 25% (29/116). There was a direct relationship between cord blood EPO and cord blood IL-6 concentration (r?=?0.225, p?=?0.014), independent of GA at birth. Elevated cord blood EPO levels (r?=?0.182, p?=?0.016) and GA at birth (r?=??0.236, p?=?0.004) remained significant independent factors associated with the risk of IVH, when evaluated with stepwise logistic regression analyses. Cord blood IL-6, pH, and EONS were not associated with IVH. These relationships remained following correction for GA at birth (p?=?0.027).Conclusions.?Our results suggest that elevation in cord blood EPO may predict newborns at risk for IVH, independent of fetal inflammatory status. Further studies are warranted to confirm this association. |
