children s health issues
Anemia in the Newborn
Treatment of Anemia in the Newborn
For anemia caused by rapid blood loss, fluids by vein and a blood transfusion For anemia caused by hemolytic disease, treatment varies Sometimes iron supplements Most healthy premature infants have mild anemia and do not require any treatment. Newborns who have rapidly lost large amounts of blood, often during labor and delivery, are treated with fluids given by vein (intravenously) followed by a Overview of Blood Transfusion . Very severe anemia caused by hemolytic disease may also require a blood transfusion, but the anemia is more often treated with an Exchange transfusion , which both lowers the bilirubin level and increases the red blood cell count. In an exchange transfusion, a small amount of the newborn’s blood is gradually removed and replaced with equal volumes of fresh donor blood. Some infants are given liquid iron supplements to help them increase their red blood cell count faster. Newborns who have jaundice may be treated with Phototherapy or , which help lower the bilirubin level. 