Newborn infants with birth asphyxia are at high risk of death or long-term neurologic disability; yet therapies for birth asphyxia are currently limited. Erythropoietin (Epo) is a FDA-approved drug that is an effective neuroprotective agent in animal models of birth asphyxia. This is a phase I dose finding multi-center trial that will test the safety and pharmacokinetics of Epo in human infants with birth asphyxia. The long-term objectives of the proposed research are to reduce mortality and to decrease the risk of long-term disabilities in infants who survive beyond the newborn period.
The purpose of this study is to determine the safety and pharmacokinetics of moderate to high doses of erythropoietin in newborn infants with birth asphyxia.