ANEMIA IN THE NEW-BORN

Abstract

Anemia of early infancy is of comparatively frequent occurrence, whereas anemia in the new-born is a rare event. The new-born among those babies destined from antenatal causes to become anemic after the lapse of several weeks, or months, almost always manifest at the time of birth and during the early weeks of life the red blood count and hemoglobin of the normal, healthy new-born. This fact is shown by the studies of Lichtenstein¹on ninety-two premature infants, beginning with their blood findings at birth and continuing for considerable lengths of time. The premature infant at birth presents the high red blood cell count and the high hemoglobin usually found in full term²infants, while study of the blood smears shows more pronounced embryonic characters. His anemia appears first after the lapse of weeks or months, eventually becoming the marked and obstinate anemia so familiar in premature infants, which