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.
The purpose of this study is to determine the efficacy of high dose Erythropoietin to improve survival and neurologic outcome in asphyxiated term newborn undergoing cooling.