Controlled trial of fresh frozen plasma in asphyxiated low birthweight infants

hood, 48, 31. Controlled trial of fresh frozen plasma in asphyxiated low birthweight infants. A controlled trial of fresh frozen plasma in asphyxiated newborn infants weighing less than 2x5 kg is reported, together with coagulation and other data obtained from the infants. The findings based on 66 infants were as as follows. (1) There was no evidence that infusion of fresh frozen plasma prevented intraventricular haemorrhage. (2) Thrombotest did not appear to be a useful discriminant test for 'at risk ' infants. (3) Asphyxiated low birthweight infants do not respond to vitamin K1 in respect of thrombotest or prothrombin time. (4) The initial coagulation status of small-for-dates infants could not be distinguished from normal premature infants. The importance of hypoxia in the pathogenesis of intracranial haemorrhage in low birthweight infants is well recognized (Frederick and Butler, 1970; Towbin, 1968). The exact mechanism is still not fully understood, but it has been suggeste