Multicenter investigation of prophylactic phenobarbital on intraventricular hemorrhage in premature infants in China

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Chen, Hui-Jin | Wei, Ke-Lun | Yao, Yu-Jia | Yang, Yu-Jia | Zhou, Cong-Le | Fan, Xiu-Fang | Gao, Xi-Rong | Jiang, Lian | Liu, Xiao-Hong | Qian, Ji-Hong | Wang, Li | Wu, Ben-Qing | Wu, Gao-Qiang | Zhang, Qing-Mei | Zhang, Xiao-Lan | Zhou, Xiao-Yu

Affiliations: Shanghai Institute for Pediatric Research, Xinhua Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China | Second Affiliated Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang, China | West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China | Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China | First Hospital of Peking University, Beijing, China | Jinan Women and Children Hospital, Shandong Province, Jinan, China | Hunan Children Hospital, Changsha, Hunan, China | Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China | Shenzhen Children's Hospital, Guangdong, China | Xinhua Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China | First Affiliated Hospital, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, China | Shenzhen City People's Hospital, Second Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University Medical College, Shenzhen, China | Ulumuqi Women and Children Hospital, Xin Jiang, Uygur Autonomous Region, China | Shenyang Women Hospital, Shenyang, Liaoning, China | Shenzhen Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, Guangdong, China | Nanjing Children's Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China

Note: [] Corresponding author: Dr. Hui-Jin Chen, Shanghai Institute for Pediatric Research, Xinhua Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China. Tel.: +86 21 65790000; Fax: +86 21 65791316; E-mail: hjchenk@online.sh.cn

Abstract: Objective: The prophylactic use of phenobarbital for the prevention of intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) in premature infants remains controversial. In order to objectively assess the effect of phenobarbital on IVH, nine large-scale hospitals participated in a nearly two year investigation of brain injuries in premature Infants in China. Study Design: All premature infants with gestational age less than 34 weeks in three hospitals and less than 37 weeks in two other hospitals received intravenous phenobarbital (loading dose of 20 mg/kg) as early as possible before 6 hours of age. A maintenance dose of 5 mg/kg daily was given 24 hours after the loading dose and continued for 5 days. Premature infants in 4 other hospitals did not receive phenobarbital. All infants in nine hospitals were subjected to routine cranial ultrasound scanning within seven days after birth, and then repeated every 3∼7 days until discharge. The study period lasted from Jan. 2005 to Aug. 2006.

DOI: 10.3233/NPM-2010-0091

Journal: Journal of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 43-50, 2010