High-versus low-dose erythropoietin in extremely low birth weight infants. The European Multicenter rhEPO Study Group.

Objective: To investigate whether a weekly 1500 IU/kg dose of recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) is more effective than a dose of 750 IU/kg/week in preventing anemia and reducing the transfusion need in infants with birth weights less than 1000 gm.

Study Design: In a randomized, double-blind, multicenter trial, 184 infants with birth weights between 500 and 999 gm were treated with either rhEPO 750 (low-dose group) or 1500 IU/kg/week (high-dose group) from day 3 of life until 37 weeks' corrected age.

Results: Thirty-two percent of the infants in each group did not receive any transfusion during the treatment period.

Cow milk protein antigens and antibodies in serum of premature infants during the first 10 days of life.

Antigenic beta-lactoglobulin and alpha-casein were measured in the sera of 45 formula-fed infants of 31 to 41 weeks of gestation at 5 days and at 10 days of age. Quantitation was performed by a sensitive ELISA inhibition assay. On day 5 of life antigenic lactoglobulin was detected in 14 of 19 infants of less than 37 weeks gestation, but in only one of 10 infants of more than 36 weeks gestation.

[Increased incidence of listeriosis diseases in Lower Saxony, 1983].

During 1983 an unusual high incidence of listeriosis in man was observed in parts of Lower Saxony. 24 strains of Listeria monocytogenes--all serotyp 4b--were isolated from 10 newborn infants, 3 children and 11 adults suffering from meningitis and sepsis. All of the affected newborns and children recovered with antibiotic therapy.

[Syndrome of accelerated skeletal maturation, type Marshall (author's transl)].

A Female infant is described with marked acceleration of her osseous maturation, unusual facial features, hypotonia and hypertrichosis. She was in respiratory distress and had feeding problems. She died at the age of 18 days.