Table 1.
Demographic and clinical parameters of the infants. Differences of clinical characteristics between groups were evaluated with the chi-square test or the Fisher exact-test as appropriate for the categorical variables, and with Student's t-test or Mann-Whitney test as appropriate for the continuous variables. SD – standard deviation, IQR – inter-quartile range (25th–75th percentiles).
| Characteristic | Reported results | EPO group (N = 24) | Placebo group (N = 34) | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gestational age (weeks) | Mean ± SD | 30.17 ± 1.44 | 29.5 ± 1.44 | 0.0952 |
| Birth weight (g) | Mean ± SD | 1337 ± 332 | 1192 ± 10 | 0.0982 |
| Z-score of birth weight (SD) | Mean ± SD | −0.27 ± 0.71 | −0.19 ± 0.95 | 0.722 |
| Gestational age at MRI (weeks) | Mean ± SD | 40.93 (2.09) | 41.33 (2.12) | 0.492 |
| Gender (female) | N (%) | 8 (33%) | 14 (41%) | 0.611 |
| Retinopathy of prematurity | N (%) | 3 (13%) | 4 (12%) | 0.771 |
| Sepsis+ | N (%) | 3 (13%) | 5 (15%) | 0.881 |
| NEC | N (%) | 0 (0%) | 1 (3%) | 0.581 |
| Mechanical ventilation | N (%) | 8 (33%) | 13 (38%) | 0.461 |
| Duration of mechanical ventilation (days) | Median (range) | 0 (0; 6) | 0 (2; 12) | 0.733 |
| Bronchopulmonary dysplasia⁎ | N (%) | 2 (8%) | 5 (14%) | 0.381 |
| Postnatal steroids | N (%) | 2 (8%) | 0 (0%) | 0.171 |
1
Chi-square test or Fisher exact test as appropriate.
2
Student test.
3
Mann-Whitney test.
+
Sepsis proven by positive blood cultures; NEC, necrotizing enterocolitis.
⁎
Oxygen requirement at corrected age of 36 weeks.