Erythropoetin Neuroprotection for Neonatal Cardiac Surgery

Inclusion Criteria: * Neonates (\<30 days) undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass will be enrolled. * Inclusion criteria include patients with: * single ventricle: hypoplastic left heart syndrome or variant undergoing Norwood Stage I or Sano palliation (SV group); * patients with D-transposition of the great vessels with or without ventricular septal defect (VSD) undergoing arterial switch operation with VSD closure if needed (ASO group); and * patients with interrupted or hypoplastic aortic arch with intracardiac defects (VSD, ASD, or subaortic stenosis) who are undergoing complete 2- ventricle repair including aortic arch advancement(AAA group), any other 2 ventricle lesion scheduled for complex anatomic repair. Exclusion Criteria: * Gestational age less than 35 weeks at birth * Weight less than 2 kg * Known recognizable dysmorphic syndrome * Surgery not requiring cardiopulmonary bypass * Preoperative cardiac arrest requiring chest compressions for greater than 3 minutes * Inability to enroll the patient greater than 12 hours preoperatively * Aortic crossclamping is not used * CPB times are anticipated to be less than 60 minutes * A nadir temperature on bypass greater than 25° C is planned. * Presence of known contraindications to EPO administration-sustained systolic blood pressure \>100, hemoglobin .18 g/dL, known allergy to EPO or one of its components * Platelet count \>600,000 per dL, INR \<0.8. * Maternal history of major vascular thrombosis,…