OBJECTIVE： To investigate the effects and safety of erythropoietin on nerve function and brainstem auditory evoked potential in the preterm children with brain damage. METHODS： 46 preterm children with brain damage were randomly divided into treatment group and control group， with 23 cases in each group. Control group received conventional symptomatic treatment as respiratory support， nutritional support， vitamin K supplement and ganglioside. Treatment group was additionally given rhEPO for injection （CHO cell） 500 IU/kg hypodermically， 3 times a week， on the basis of control group. Both group received 3-4 weeks of treatment continuously. MDI， PDI， the content of serum nerve injury factor （NSE，S-100β）， latent period and peak interval of brainstem auditory evoked potential were compared between 2 groups before and after treatment， and the occurrence of ADR was observed in 2 groups. RESULTS： There was no statistical significance in MDI， PDI， the content of serum nerve injury molecule， latent period and peak interval of brainstem auditory evoked potential between 2 groups before treatment （P＞0.05）. After treatment， MDI and PDI of 2 groups increased significantly， while the content of serum nerve injury factor， latent period and peak interval of brainstem auditory evoked potential decreased significantly； the treatment group was better than the control group， with statistical significance （P＜0.05）. No obvious ADR was found in 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS： Erythropoietin can significantly improve intelligence development， protect the damaged nerve cells and auditory nerve pathways with good safety.