Efficacy of Erythropoietin to Improve Survival and Neurological Outcome in Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy

Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy remains the main cause of death or long term neurologic impairments in neonates. Yet, therapies for birth asphyxia are currently limited. Hypothermia when applied within 6 hours after birth demonstrate partial improvement in outcome of newborns specially those with moderate form. Erythropoietin and its receptors are upregulated after brain injury in ischemic conditions. Systemically administered erythropoietin is neuroprotective in animal models of birth asphyxia. To date, one study demonstrate improvement neurologic outcome in asphyxiated term newborn under erythropoietin treatment but no reports evaluating beneficial of erythropoietin associated with cooling. This is a large randomised controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of high dose erythropoietin on outcome at two years of asphyxiated term newborns undergoing cooling.

Inclusion criteria

• Term or near-term newborn (> = 36 weeks gestational age)
• Moderate to severe encephalopathy
• undergoing moderate controlled hypothermia started within 6 hours after delivery : rectal or esophageal temperature maintained at 33.5 ° C + / - 0.5 ° C before H6
• Beneficiary of social security plan
• Informed consent parental authority

Exclusion criteria

• Impossibility of getting controlled hypothermia before H6
• Infant older than 12 hours of age
• Chromosomal or significant congenital abnormality
• Predictable surgery in the first 3 days of life
• Uncontrolled collapse
• Haemorrhagic syndrome unchecked
• Head trauma with or without skull fracture