Table 1.

Studies included in the meta-analysis.

Study (year)	N	Country of study	Study Population	Neurological assessment	Intervention	Comparison	Primary outcome measure
Avasiloaiei (2013) [17]	67	Romania	≥37–40 weeks with perinatal asphyxia	American Academy of Paediatrics and American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists 2003, 3 of 4 criteria met to be included	SC erythropoietin (1000 IU/kg) once a day for the first 3 days	Routine intensive care OR IV Phenobarbital (40 mg/kg) as a single dose in the first 4 h after birth	Death or Disability at 18 months using Bayley Infant Scales of Development II
Elmahdy (2010) [20]	30	Egypt	≥38–42 weeks with mild or moderate NE	Sarnat and Sarnat 1976, >3 signs in one of the following categories: Normal, Mild NE, Moderate NE, or Severe NE	SC erythropoietin (2500 IU/kg) once a day for the first 5 days	Routine intensive care	Death or Disability at 6 months using Denver Developmental Screening Test II
El Shimi (2013) [18]	20	Egypt	≥37–40 weeks with perinatal asphyxia	Sarnat and Sarnat 1976, >3 signs in one of the following categories: normal, Mild NE, moderate NE, or severe NE	SC erythropoietin (1500 IU/kg) as a single dose	Routine intensive care	Death or Disability at 3 months using neuromuscular function scale (NMS)
Malla (2017) [19]	100	India	≥37–40 weeks, <6 h age, AND moderate or severe NE	Sarnat and Sarnat 1976, >3 signs in one of the following categories: Normal, Mild NE, Moderate NE, or Severe NE	IV erythropoietin (500 IU/kg) on D1,3,5	Placebo	Death or moderate or severe disability at 19 months using Bayley Infant Scales of Development II
Zhu (2009) [21]	153	China	≥37–40 weeks AND clinical evidence of moderate or severe NE	Sarnat and Sarnat 1976, >3 signs in one of the following categories: Normal, Mild NE, Moderate NE, or Severe NE	Forty-five had SC/IV erythropoietin (300 IU/kg) and 28 had SC/IV erythropoietin (500 IU/kg) on alternate days for 2 weeks	Routine intensive care	Death or disability at 18 months using Bayley Infant Scales of Development II; the presence of cerebral palsy and Mental Development Index (MDI) < 70