Autologous RBCs derived from UCB could not replace 50 percent of allogeneic transfusions due to the low UCB volumes collected and subsequent low product availability.

UCB can be processed into autologous products for premature infants. Shelf-life is limited to 14-21 days and compares unfavourably to stored whole blood. Considering the early transfusion needs in these infants, a short shelf-life would not be a practical objection.

Although the use of umbilical cord blood (UCB) for transfusion purposes has been proposed decades ago, the employ is still limited. In this article we review studies evaluating UCB collection efficiency and sterility, examine processing and storage of UCB-derived red blood cells (RBC) and discuss clinical studies in which UCB was used for transfusion purposes. Efforts to provide preterm newborns with autologous RBC derived from UCB have not been very successful. UCB collected after full-term deliveries can however easily be processed into RBC products and could be used autologous in case surgery of the neonate is indicated early after birth, or for allogeneic small volume paediatric transfusions. To harvest enough UCB volume, immediate clamping of the umbilical cord is commonly used as standard practice. Although delayed cord clamping has shown to improve the iron status in full-term infants; for small-for-gestational-age infants this has not been demonstrated. In addition, an increased need for phototherapy after delayed clamping exists. Altogether, we could find no disencouraging evidence to collect UCB, which could be processed into an easily available RBC product for paediatric transfusion in resource-restricted countries.

BackgroundIn premature born infants red blood cell (RBC) transfusions have been associated with both beneficial and detrimental sequels. Upon RBC transfusion, improvement in cerebral blood flow and oxygenation have been observed, while a more liberal transfusion policy may be associated with a better developmental outcome. The effect of the transfusion volume on long-term outcome is not known.MethodsObservational follow-up study of a cohort of extremely premature born infants, treated in 2 neonatal intensive care units using a different transfusion volume (15 ml/kg in Unit A and 20 ml/kg in Unit B). The primary outcome was a composite of post discharge mortality, neuromotor developmental delay, blindness or deafness, evaluated at a mean corrected age (CA) of 24 months related to the transfusion volume/kg bodyweight administered during the postnatal hospital stay.ResultsDespite the difference in transfusion volume in clinically comparable groups of infants, they received a similar number of transfusions (5.5 ± 3.2 versus 5.5 ± 2.3 respectively in Unit A and B). The total transfused volume in unit A was 79 ± 47 ml/kg and 108 ± 47 ml/kg in unit B (p = 0.02). Total transfused RBC volume per kg bodyweight was not an independent predictor of the composite outcome (p = 0.96, OR 1.0 (CI 0.9-1.1).ConclusionThere was no relationship between the composite outcome at 24 months CA and transfusion volume received during the post natal hospital stay. As there was no clinical advantage of the higher transfusion volume, a more restrictive volume will reduce total transfusion volume and donor exposure. Future research on the optimal transfusion volume per event to extreme preterm infants should include larger, prospective studies with a longer follow-up period through to childhood or even adolescence.

The objective of this study was to investigate how a red blood cell transfusion volume of 15 or 20 mL kg(-1) body weight affects the total number of administered transfusions and neonatal complications in premature infants born before 32 gestational weeks. In this observational study, we analysed clinical data from two cohorts of 218 and 241 premature infants admitted to two neonatal centres which used the same transfusion guideline and product, but different transfusion volumes. Outcome parameters were the number of administered transfusions and the composite outcome of bronchopulmonary dysplasia, retinopathy of prematurity, intraventricular haemorrhage and mortality. The proportion of transfused infants was significantly lower (59 vs. 77%) in the centre using a lower transfusion volume of 15 mL kg(-1). In infants born between a gestational age of 24 0/7 weeks and 27 6/7 weeks. a similar proportion received transfusions in both centres, with an equal number of transfusions per infant. In infants born between a gestational age of 28 0/7 weeks and 31 6/7 weeks, the proportion of transfused infants (49 vs. 74%) was significantly higher in the centre using a larger transfusion volume. In these infants, transfusion with 20 mL kg(-1) resulted, however, in a mean reduction of one transfusion episode per infant. The higher proportion of transfused infants was associated with a higher pre-transfusion haematocrit in less ill infants, suggesting the use of different triggers based on clinical grounds. Composite clinical complications were similar in both cohorts. Clinical neonatal outcome was similar disregard of a higher proportion of transfused patients and a higher total amount of RBC transfused in one of the centres. A larger transfusion volume of 20 mL kg(-1) prolonged the interval until next transfusion and can reduce donor exposure in infants born between a gestational age of 28 0/7 weeks and 31 6/7 weeks.