The hormone erythropoietin (EPO) could prevent brain injuries in very premature babies, a study suggests. Brain scans show EPO – used illegally by athletes to boost performance – may help infants when given after birth. The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, involved almost 500 babies born between 26 and 31 weeks in Switzerland. The researchers are calling for wider trials of the hormone, which is already given to some babies to treat anaemia. Erythropoietin is a hormone that stimulates production of red blood cells. This is the first time that the beneficial effect of the EPO hormone on the brains of premature babies has been shown” Dr Russia Ha-Vinh Leuchter University of Geneva Synthetic EPO is used to treat conditions such as anaemia, where there are fewer red blood cells than normal. It may also be given to premature babies to reduce the need for blood transfusions.

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