SynthesisPloS one2021
Restrictive versus liberal transfusion thresholds in very low birth weight infants: A systematic review with meta-analysis.
Synthesis in PloS one, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 26 citations in OpenAlex.
- Association of anemia and necrotizing enterocolitis in neonates: Systematic review and meta-analysis of transfusion thresholds, erythropoietin trials, and observational studies.Journal of neonatal-perinatal medicine · 2026Pooled it
- Comparative efficacy and safety of restrictive versus liberal transfusion thresholds in anemic preterm infants: a meta-analysis of 12 randomized controlled trials.Annals of hematology · 2023Pooled it
- Risk Factors Influencing Neurodevelopmental Outcome and Survival in Preterm Infants: A Prospective Cohort Study.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Is blood benign?-current evidence on perioperative pediatric transfusion.Translational pediatrics · 2026Article
- Chronic phase ventilation strategy in established severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia: A critical evaluation of the evidence.SAGE open medicine · 2026Review
- Safety and efficacy of restrictive red blood cell transfusion strategy in extremely low birth weight infants: a before-after comparative study.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Article
- Effects of red blood cell transfusion on cerebral hemodynamics of preterm neonates.Neurophotonics · 2024Article
- Risk factors associated with anemia of prematurity requiring red blood cell transfusion in very low birth weight infants: a retrospective study.BMC pediatrics · 2024Article
- Prevention Strategies and Management of Necrotizing Enterocolitis.Current treatment options in pediatrics · 2024Article
- Epidemiology, risk factors, clinical presentation and complications of late-onset neonatal sepsis among preterm neonates in Cyprus: a prospective case-control study.BMC pediatrics · 2024Article
- Red Blood Cell Transfusion, Anemia, Feeding, and the Risk of Necrotizing Enterocolitis.Clinics in perinatology · 2023Review
- Survey of transfusion practices in preterm infants in Europe.Archives of disease in childhood. Fetal and neonatal edition · 2023Article
- Patient Blood Management in pediatric and adolescent bone marrow donors: results from an Italian survey.Blood transfusion = Trasfusione del sangueArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundTo assess the efficacy and safety of restrictive versus liberal red blood cell transfusion thresholds in very low birth weight infants.
methodsWe searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane database without any language restrictions. The last search was conducted in August 15, 2020. All randomized controlled trials comparing the use of restrictive versus liberal red blood cell transfusion thresholds in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants were selected. Pooled risk ratio (RR) for dichotomous variable with 95% confidence intervals were assessed by a random-effects model. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality.
resultsOverall, this meta-analysis included 6 randomized controlled trials comprising 3,483 participants. Restrictive transfusion does not increase the risk of all-cause mortality (RR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.84 to 1.17; I2 = 0%; high-quality evidence), and does not increase the composite outcome of death or neurodevelopmental impairment (RR, 1.01, 95% CI, 0.93-1.09; I2 = 7%; high-quality evidence) or other serious adverse events. Results were similar in subgroup analyses of all-cause mortality by weight of infants, gestational age, male infants, and transfusion volume.
conclusionsIn very low birth weight infants, a restrictive threshold for red blood cell transfusion was not associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality, in either short term or long term.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.