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Genetic Hormones Uses Instead of Transfusions in Preemies

First disclosure to medical journals: Bnai Zion physicians use a genetic hormone instead of blood transfusions in premature babies.

Blood transfusions place premature babies at risk of contamination by infectious diseases. The hormone, as a result of genetic engineering, enables premature babies to independently produce the amount of blood they require. The experimental use, crowned a complete success, has been approved by the Ministry of Health and by the parents.

A hormone, the result of genetic engineering, enables premature babies to independently produce the amount of blood they require with the objective of avoiding the use of blood transfusions which may result in contamination by infectious diseases. The hormone is currently being used in the Bnai Zion Medical Center, following successful completion of the clinical experimental stage.

This research study, during which many premature babies were treated successfully, and having been approved by the Ministry of Health and the parents, has been recently disclosed to medical journals.

The research study, the first of its kind in Israel, was carried out by a team of physicians in the Maternity Ward and the Premature Babies Intensive Care Unit headed by Dr. David Bader in Haifa's Bnai Zion Medical Center and several other hospitals.

Premature babies born less than 1.5 kg. and under the 32nd week of pregnancy require many blood transfusions during their hospitalization. The reason for this is that during treatment, blood samples are taken for tests and their bone marrow is still incapable of producing blood cells in sufficient amounts.

Since blood transfusions may expose the premature babies to the possibility of contamination by infectious diseases and even threaten their lives, Dr. David Bader and his team started to search for ways of enabling the premature baby to independently produce the amount of blood it requires. The team, therefore, started to use the hormone aretropoltine which is manufactured abroad through genetic engineering techniques. The treatment of premature babies, approved by the Helsinki Committee, the Ministry of Health, and the parents of the babies, has been crowned a complete success. After the premature baby's blood system has independently produced the amount of blood it requires, the aretropoltine hormone leaves no side effects and poses no risk.