Treatment of anemia in babies

Babies will face many dangers after birth. As long as they go through it smoothly, their bodies will not be affected. However, many babies are troubled by diseases. For example, babies are born with anemia, which is mostly neonatal anemia. This disease is a very serious disease. In severe cases, it will affect the life of the newborn. Treatment must be taken in time to control the disease. Therefore, the treatment of anemia is very important. So what are the treatments for anemia in babies?

1. Emergency treatment for acute blood loss If the child is in shock, immediately infuse 15-20 ml/kg of 5% albumin, normal saline or whole blood to restore blood volume to normal. Chronic severe anemia caused by hemolytic disease due to blood type incompatibility requires early transfusion to correct it.

2. In non-emergency situations, anemia can be corrected by transfusing concentrated RBCs. Indications for blood transfusion: ① The cumulative blood volume drawn within 72 hours is >10% of blood volume; ② Hb <130g/L (HCT <0.4) in children with acute anemia; ③ Hb <80-100g/L (HCT <0.25-0.30) in children with chronic anemia and clinical signs suggestive of anemia (shortness of breath, tachycardia, repeated apnea, need for low-flow oxygen, difficulty feeding, lack of weight gain, etc.).

The amount of blood transfusion can be calculated according to the following formula:

Blood transfusion volume (ml) =

Expected HCT-Children HCT

HCT from donor

× body weight (kg) × 90

3. Recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) can increase the Hb level of premature infants and reduce the number of blood transfusions, but it cannot eliminate the need for blood transfusions in premature infants. The dosage is 200-250u/kg each time, subcutaneously injected 3 times a week. Iron supplementation of 4 to 8 mg/kg.d (at least 2 mg/kg.d) should be given at the same time.

4. Nutritional supplements

(1) Iron supplements: The cause of physiological anemia in premature infants is not related to iron, but the iron reserves of premature infants decrease after 2 to 3 months of birth. Iron supplementation should be started 4 to 6 weeks after birth, with a dose of 1 to 2 mg/kg per day.

(2)VitE Both breast milk and modern formula milk contain sufficient VitE and low levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids, so VitE deficiency rarely occurs.

(3) Folic acid: Both breast milk and formula milk contain sufficient folic acid, so supplementation is generally not necessary, unless infants on special diets (such as phenylketonuria and maple syrup urine disease) are at risk of folic acid deficiency.

When a baby is born with anemia, parents should closely observe the baby's physical symptoms. If they find severe signs of anemia, they should send the baby to the hospital for emergency treatment in time. After the condition stabilizes, the baby should be hospitalized for observation to accurately diagnose the baby's disease. Babies need to supplement iron in time in their daily lives. There are many ways to supplement iron, and the treatment method is mainly formulated according to the child's condition. If the treatment is not timely, the baby will suffer great harm, and in severe cases it will no longer be controllable.