title: The iron status at birth of neonates with risk factors for developing iron deficiency: a pilot study.
abstract: Small-for-gestational-age (SGA) neonates, infants of diabetic mothers (IDM) and very-low-birth weight premature neonates (VLBW) are reported to have increased risk for developing iron deficiency and possibly associated neurocognitive delays.
  
  
  
  We conducted a pilot study to assess iron status at birth in at-risk neonates by measuring iron parameters in umbilical cord blood from SGA, IDM, VLBW and comparison neonates.
  
  
  
  Six of the 50 infants studied had biochemical evidence of iron deficiency at birth. Laboratory findings consistent with iron deficiency were found in one SGA, one IDM, three VLBW, and one comparison infant. None of the infants had evidence of iron deficiency anemia.
  
  
  
  Evidence of biochemical iron deficiency at birth was found in 17% of screened neonates. Studies are needed to determine whether these infants are at risk for developing iron-limited erythropoiesis, iron deficiency anemia or iron-deficient neurocognitive delay.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
authors.forename: B C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: MacQueen
authors.affiliation: Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.|Women and Newborn's Clinical Program, Intermountain Healthcare, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.|Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Christensen
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Intermountain Medical Center, Murray, KY, USA.
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.affiliation: Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.|Women and Newborn's Clinical Program, Intermountain Healthcare, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.affiliation: Women and Newborn's Clinical Program, Intermountain Healthcare, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Sheffield
authors.affiliation: Women and Newborn's Clinical Program, Intermountain Healthcare, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
authors.forename: V L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Baer
authors.affiliation: Statistical Data Center, LDS Hospital, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Snow
authors.affiliation: Women and Newborn's Clinical Program, Intermountain Healthcare, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Weaver Lewis
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics and Edward A. Doisy Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, St Louis University, St Louis, MO, USA.
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Fleming
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kaplan
mesh_terms: D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age / Q000097:blood*; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight / Q000097:blood*; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood*; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011247:Pregnancy; D011254:Pregnancy in Diabetics; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014589:Utah
chemical_list: D005293:Ferritins; D007501:Iron