All issues > Volume 37(12); 1994

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1994;37(12):1725-1731. Published online December 15, 1994.

Causes of Anemia Less Than 7 Days of Age

Man Seong MS Ko¹, Jina Jn Sohn¹, Jae Wook JW Ko¹, Soon Wha SW Kim¹, Don Hee DH Ahn¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, National Medical Center, Seoul, Korea

Abstract

Purpose
: Within a few days from birth, newborn infants are under conitions of normal physiologic changes. During this period, the certain newborn infants are confronted with a severe life-threatenling hematologic problems such as anemia. Therefore, prompt diagnosis of anemia and accurate identification of underlying causes would rather be essential to provide appropriate menagement.
Methods
: Eighty three newborn infants who met the criteria of anemia were cellected. The accepted blood was venous blood only. They were all hospitalized less than 7 days old in the nursery of National Medical Center from January, 1992 to June, 1993. The other laboratory tests-reticulocyte count, peaked total bilirubin, Coombs' test, hemohlobin F, and erythropoietinwere checked.
Results
: 1) Twenty three of 80 cases( 29%), showed reticulocyte count above five percent. Ten of 23 cases were premature. Of these causes, ABO incompatibility was four cases(22%), fetomaternal transfusion was one case, and Rh incompatibility, cephalohematoma, intracranial hemorrhage, pneumonia were one case, respectively. 2) Among 54 of 83 cases, the total bilirubin was above 10.0mg/dl. Twenty cases were caused by hemorrhage(38%), 16 of those were cephalohematoma. ABO incompatbility and Rh incompatibility was 8 and 1 case, respectively. Sepsis, cytomegalovirus infection, and congenital leukemia was one case, respectively. 3) Twenty six of 83 cases were checked the serum erythropoietin level, and the mean value was 22. 8?3.3mU/ml in fullterm; in contrast, 14.9?.1mU/ml in premature infants. 4) Among the causes of anemia, the hemorrhage consist of 23 of 62 fullterm cases. Of these, the fetomaternal transfusion was four cases of anemia, the hemorrhage consist of 23 of 62 fullterm cases. Of these, the fetomaternal transfusion was four cases and cephalohematoma was 19 cases, ABO incompatibility was nine cases; while Rh incompatibility was one case. Finally, infection was four cases in this study. As a whole the causes of anemia were as follows in the order of frequency; hemorrhage, hemolysis, and infection.
Conclusion
: Among the causes of anemia in less than 7 days of age, hemorrhage was the most common and more common than infection.

Keywords :Anemia, Newborn