These findings identify a dose-response relationship between rEPO treatment and improved MDI scores. They are consistent with findings of adult studies and animal brain injury models and await confirmation.

. We compared anterior cerebral pulsatility index (ACPI), anterior cerebral mean flow velocity (ACMFV), common carotid pulsatility index (CPI) and common carotid mean flow velocity (CMFV) in three groups of preterm infants with birth‐weights less than 1500 grams: 6 without evidence of PDA (group A), 6 with PDA treated with fluid restriction, diuretics or digoxin (group B) and 6 with surgical ligation of PDA (group C). Infants were assessed in three time periods: the first four days of life, five days before surgical ligation and five days post‐ligation. Analyses of variance showed no significant differences in the three groups for the four measures in time 1. In time 2, ACPI was 0.61 for group A, 0.58 for group B, 0.78 for group C (p<0.01). ACMFV was 9.22 for group A, 7.71 for group B, 6.37 for group C (p<0.05). CPI was 0.84 for group A, 0.83 for group B, 0.90 for group C (NS); CMFV was 7.80 for group A, 5.63 for group B, 4.28 for group C (p<0.01). In time 3, significant differences (p<0.01) were found only for CMFV.

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