The effectiveness of ethamsylate in the reduction of neonatal mortality among preterm infants is discussed. It has been shown that the use of ethamsylate was effective in preterm infants whose gestational ages ranged between 33-34 weeks, but not in younger infants. Although intracranial hemorrhages in these infants could not be determined because of the unavailability of a portable ultrasound scanner, we recommend ethamsylate prophylactically for all preterm infants in the prevention of intracranial hemorrhage especially in babies in developing countries.

Keywords: neonatal mortality, ethamsylate, premature infant