Effects of Red Blood Cell Transfusions on the Risk of Developing Complications or Death: An Observational Study of a Cohort of Very Low Birth Weight Infants

Background The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between red blood cell (RBC) transfusions on the risk of death, retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants. Study Design and Methods This is an observational study. Data were entered prospectively into the study database at the time of the first transfusion. Clinical characteristics, adverse events, and outcomes of the patients transfused in the first 28 days of life were compared with the population of VLBW infants not transfused during the same period. The association among birth weight, gestational age, comorbidities, and the number of transfusions was estimated with a Poisson regression model. The association between the composite outcome and the occurrence of death, ROP, or BPD separately considered and a set of covariates was estimated with a logistic regression model. Results We enrolled 641 VLBW infants, 42% of whom were transfused. Transfusions were associated with the risk of developing the composite outcome, independently from other conditions; this risk correlated with several transfusions ≥ 3 (odds ratio: 5.88, 95% confidence interval: 2.74-12.6). ROP and BPD were associated with several transfusions ≥ 3. Conclusion We observed an association between RBC transfusions and the composite risk of death or ROP, BPD, and NEC.