Assessment of Iron Status and the Effect of Red Blood Cell Transfusion in Premature Infants

Objective  The objective of this study was to evaluate iron deficiency in preterm infants and determine impact of blood transfusions on serum iron (SI) and ferritin (FTN). Study Design  A prospective evaluation of baseline and weekly hemoglobin (Hgb), hematocrit (Hct), SI, FTN levels in premature infants with birth weights (BWs)  Results  In 125 preterm infants, the mean Hgb, Hct, and SI levels at birth were lower for infants  p  = 0.013) and infants ≥ 34 weeks GA ( p  = 0.007). FTN and SI values at 1 month were not significantly impacted by blood transfusions. Conclusion  Infants