ANEMIA OF INFANCY FROM MATERNAL IRON DEFICIENCY IN PREGNANCY 123

Abstract

During the progress of studies made upon anemia in pregnancy (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6), it was observed that no matter how anemic the mothers, their infants were always born with a normal amount of hemoglobin and a normal red blood cell count. It shortly became apparent, however, that after several months these infants born of anemic mothers developed pallor, which became most marked toward the end of the first year of life. Studies were therefore made to determine the nature of this condition , its prevention and treatment. The results presented here indicate that this anemia of infancy is the result of maternal iron deficiency during pregnancy, which may be prevented by supplying an adequate amount of iron to the pregnant mother, or when developed in the infant, may be treated successfully by iron. The observations now reported were made only upon normal full-term infants. Critical examination of the mothers failed to reveal any abnormalities other than those attributable to hypochromic anemia and gastric secretory defects (6). Control observations were made upon the infants of entirely normal women who were studied throughout pregnancy. (See reference (5), Group I.) Observations made upon the infants of mothers suffering from pernicious anemia of pregnancy are not studied in detail in this report but will be referred to briefly. Details as to methods employed in blood examination have been given (5). Routine examinations were made upon specimens obtained from a freely bleeding puncture of the infant's heel, and upon maternal blood withdrawn without stasis from the antecubital vein. The Sahli hemom-eter calibrated so that 100 per cent hemoglobin equals 15.6 grams per 100 cc. of blood was employed.