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Evidence · Randomised trial

Platelet characteristics in extremely preterm infants after fatty acid supplementation: a randomized controlled trial.

Randomised trialPediatric Research2025Full text
  • Allied health
  • Enteral feeding
  • Eyes and hearing
  • Jaundice and haematology
  • Medical
  • Nursing
  • Nutrition and gastrointestinal
  • Retinopathy of prematurity
  • Thrombocytopenia and bleeding

Summary

This randomised controlled trial analysis in extremely preterm infants (mean gestational age 25.6 weeks) examined whether enteral arachidonic acid (AA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplementation altered platelet counts and platelet-related proteins during the first four postnatal weeks. Thrombocytopenia rates did not differ significantly between supplemented infants and controls. Among infants with thrombocytopenia, fewer supplemented infants developed severe retinopathy of prematurity. Platelet-related angiogenic proteins such as PDGF and VEGF correlated with thrombocytopenia and fatty acid levels, suggesting a possible mechanism.

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