Quality of blood transfusions for preterm babies better understood

Researchers have now moved a step closer to determining new ways to improve quality of life-saving blood transfusions for preterm babies by understanding the mechanism behind the body's inflammatory response.

By decreasing the likelihood of adverse inflammatory responses to the blood, researchers from the University of Adelaide in Australia are moving a step forward in improving the quality of these transfusions.

These blood transfusions are among the most typical medical events experienced by preterm babies, who are regularly anaemic and suffer a loss of blood.

Studying 28 preterm babies at 28 weeks' gestation or less who were given packed red blood cell transfusions, the researchers from the university's Robinson Institute found a potential mechanism linked with the body's inflammatory response.

Elevated levels of signalling cells, such as cytokines and chemokines have been found by the scientists within two to four hours of the preterm babies receiving a blood transfusion.

These cells are known to stimulate inflammation within the body, explained lead author, Dr Michael Stark from the Institute.

The initiation or amplification of these inflammatory processes in the body are because of the bioactive components of packed red blood cell transfusions that these babies are receiving, stated the doctor.

Vital parts of modern medical care, blood transfusions are a safe and life-saving medical procedure.

"It has been suggested that blood transfusions themselves may be associated with medical complications that are unrelated to the reason for which the transfusion is given, and we don't really know why that is," stated Dr Stark.

Inflammatory conditions that affect the gut (necrotising entercolitis) and lungs (bronchopulmonary dysplasia) of very preterm babies are connected.


The results of this research are published in the journal Pediatric Research.

The hope of the researchers is to better understand the response to the blood from the body so that advancements to blood transfusions can be made and this will decrease the potential of inflammatory responses.

If this is achieved, the patient will experience a life-saving procedure along with fewer complications because of it.

Dr Stark said that more research is needed to determine precisely how this response is triggered and how it can be prevented.

Posted by Fiona Griffiths