【Abstract】 Objective To study the expression of the telomere repeat binding factor 2 (TRF2) in the neonatal rats with hypoxic ischemic brain damage (HIBD), and explore the role of TRF2 in neuronal apoptosis. Methods HIBD model in neonatal rats was established, ipsilateral brains were collected 2h, 12h, 24h, and 72h after hypoxicischemic (HI) insult. The expression of TRF2, pChk2, Chk2, and Bax was detected through immunohistochemistry (IHC) and western blotting. Results The expression of TRF2, pChk2, and Bax was upregulated from 2h to 72h, and peaked at 24h after HI. However, there was no significant change in the expression of Chk2. Conclusion HI induces significant upregulation of TRF2 in neonatal rats. TRF2 might regulate neuronal apoptosis through the activation of Chk2 and Bax.