Neonatal Anemia

Abstract

Neonatal anemia is a public health problem of global concern and has significant associations with many short- and long-term morbidities. Many etiological factors ranging from perinatal physiologic transition, hematological maturation, illnesses, and iatrogenic reasons such as the phlebotomies necessary for laboratory evaluation may be involved, and there is a need for careful clinical decisions. In premature infants, the management of anemia also has to factor in the unique hematological transition seen during development, co-morbidities associated with preterm birth, the severity of illness severity, and all the iatrogenic factors. Untreated severe anemia is known to negatively impact long-term growth and neurodevelopment outcomes, making early diagnosis and treatment imperative. Additionally, there is a lack of consensus about the threshold and timing of packed red blood cell transfusions, and we need further consideration in view of various associated complications. Therefore, clinicians need to focus on preventable causes of anemia such as nutritional deficiencies, chronic illness, and excessive phlebotomy losses. In this article, we attempt to summarize the pathophysiology, etiologies, clinical management, and the opportunities in research in the field of neonatal anemia