Higher Level of RBC Transfusion may Not Have Efficacy for Anemia by Karishma Abhishek on January 3, 2021 at 5:13 AM However it is shown that using a higher level (threshold) of red blood cells (within clinically accepted limits) when ordering a transfusion, offers no advantage in survival or reduction in neurological impairment over a lower threshold, as per a National Institutes of Health-funded large, multi-centre randomized clinical trial study to-date on comparison of thresholds for blood transfusions in premature babies, published in The New England Journal of Medicine. Preterm infants born before 29 weeks of pregnancy with weight less than 1,000 grams (slightly more than 2 pounds) are at high risk for anemia because of their early stage of development, reduced ability to produce red blood cells, and need for blood sampling as part of their intensive medical care.