Objective was to determine if iron supplementation of 2 mg/kg per day, in addition to routine iron-fortified formula or mother's milk, increased the hematocrit (Hct) at 36 weeks' postmenstrual age (PMA).
All infants have a decline in hemoglobin(Hgb) after birth because of increasing PaO2 and Hgb saturation after birth. In very low birth weight (VLBW) infants (birth weight ,1500 g), the nadir at 1 to 3 months after birth is lower than in term infants because of (1) greater phlebotomy losses for blood tests, (2) shortened red blood cell survival, and (3)rapid growth.
VLBW infants may be at increased risk of developing iron deficiency anemia because of (1) low iron stores at birth, (2) rapid depletion of iron stores owing to phlebotomy losses, and (3) inability to regulate iron absorption by the gastrointestinal tract.
