Sheba study: Babies given transfusions in the womb do well

Babies with severe anemia who are given blood transfusions while still in the womb do not show signs of short-term or long-term developmental abnormalities, new research indicates.

Dr. B. Weisz, from The Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel, and colleagues looked at outcomes of 54 anemic fetuses that received between one and seven blood transfusions before they were born.

According to the report in the Archives of Disease in Childhood: Fetal and Neonatal Edition, 33 fetuses had severe anemia and 21 had mild to moderate anemia, based on standard criteria.

The outcomes of the two groups during the newborn period were comparable.

Likewise, at follow-up later in childhood, no differences were noted between the groups in motor development score, the percentage of abnormal mental development, and the percentage of children needing supportive therapy.

"It is reasonable to conclude that, although some studies have found cerebral lesions and poor outcome in extremely anemic fetuses, fetuses with severe ... anemia receiving optimal treatment are not at increased risk of neurodevelopmental abnormalities," the authors conclude.

SOURCE: Archives of Disease in Childhood: Fetal and Neonatal Edition, May 2009.