Association of Day-1 Hemoglobin Oxygen Affinity (p50) with Severe Intraventricular Hemorrhage in Preterm Infants

Yakup Karakurt1, Emrah Can2

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Bağcılar Training and Research Hospital, University of Health Sciences, Istanbul, Turkey.

Indian Pediatrics
|April 8, 2026
PubMed

Insights

A lower partial pressure of oxygen at 50% hemoglobin saturation (p50) in preterm infants is linked to a higher risk of severe intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH). This finding highlights p50 as a potential predictor for IVH in neonates.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatalogy
  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Critical Care Medicine

Background:

  • The partial pressure of oxygen at which hemoglobin is saturated at 50% (p50) is a key indicator of oxygen loading and tissue unloading.
  • Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) is a significant concern in preterm infants, often leading to severe neurological complications.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between lower p50 values and the incidence of severe IVH (grades III-IV) in very preterm infants.
  • To determine if p50 can serve as a predictive marker for severe IVH in this vulnerable population.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective cohort study of very preterm infants (gestational age ≤ 32 weeks) admitted between January 2020 and December 2023.
  • p50 was measured from the first arterial blood gas within 12 hours of birth.
  • Severe IVH was diagnosed via cranial ultrasonography, and multivariable logistic regression was used for analysis, adjusting for gestational age, sex, sepsis, and ventilation.

Main Results:

  • Out of 290 infants, 12% experienced severe IVH.
  • A significant decrease in median day-1 p50 was observed with increasing IVH severity (21.5 mmHg for no IVH, 18.7 mmHg for mild IVH, 16.0 mmHg for severe IVH; P < 0.001).
  • Lower day-1 p50 was independently associated with severe IVH (adjusted odds ratio 1.38 per 1 mmHg decrease; P = 0.012).

Conclusions:

  • Lower day-1 p50 is independently associated with a higher incidence of severe IVH in very preterm infants.
  • p50 may be a valuable biomarker for predicting the risk of severe IVH in neonates.
Abstract