title: Serum ferritin levels in preterm infants after multiple blood transfusions.
abstract: We have examined the effect on iron stores of blood transfusions given to premature neonates during hospitalization in the neonatal intensive care unit as reflected by serum ferritin levels measured for 6 months after discharge. Premature infants who were transfused with more than 100 ml packed cells (group D; n = 11) had higher ferritin levels for a longer period than premature infants who were transfused with smaller volumes (group c; n = 9) or premature and mature infants who were not transfused at all (group B; n = 24 and group A; n = 21, respectively). At 4-5 months the serum ferritin levels in group D (489.8 +/- 132.1 micrograms/L; mean +/- SEM) were significantly higher (P less than 0.001) than those of the other groups. The level of group A term infants (77.5 +/- 12.5 micrograms/L) was higher than those of group B premature infants who did not receive a blood transfusion (33.0 +/- 7.1 micrograms/L) or group C who received less than 100 ml (36.5 +/- 8.8 micrograms/L packed red blood cells. However, these differences were not statistically significant. Our data demonstrate that very-low-birthweight infants who receive a large volume of packed cells during hospitalization may accumulate iron stores sufficient for red cell production during the first 6 months of life. Administration of large amounts of supplemental iron, in such cases, may be curtailed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Hebrew University Hadassah Medical Centers, Mount Scopus, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Arad
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Konijn
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Linder
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Goldstein
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Kaufmann
mesh_terms: D000747:Anemia, Hypochromic / Q000517:prevention & control; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007225:Infant Food; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D005293:Ferritins