What are the causes of low hemoglobin in newborns?

If the newborn's hemoglobin is low, parents must be very worried and want to know the reason for the low hemoglobin in the newborn. So what are the reasons for the low hemoglobin in the newborn? Next, this article will introduce the reasons for low hemoglobin in newborns for your reference only. Friends who want to know the reasons for low hemoglobin in newborns can take a look! Please see the detailed introduction below.

Hemoglobin is a protein (abbreviated as HB or HGB) responsible for carrying oxygen in higher organisms. It is the protein that makes blood red. Hemoglobin consists of four chains, two α chains and two β chains, each of which has a ring-shaped heme containing an iron atom. Oxygen is bound to iron atoms and transported in the blood. The characteristics of hemoglobin are: it easily combines with oxygen in places with high oxygen content; and it easily separates from oxygen in places with low oxygen content. This characteristic of hemoglobin enables red blood cells to transport oxygen.

What are the causes of low hemoglobin in newborns?

1. Physiological reduction

Infants from 3 months old to children under 15 years old have a relative shortage of hematopoietic raw materials due to their rapid growth and development, and their red blood cells and hemoglobin may be 10% to 20% lower than normal people. In the middle and late stages of pregnancy, the increase in blood volume in pregnant women causes blood dilution, and in the elderly, the bone marrow hematopoietic function gradually decreases, both of which can lead to a decrease in red blood cell and hemoglobin content.

2. Pathological reduction:

1. Anemia caused by decreased red blood cell production:

(1) Bone marrow hematopoietic failure: anemia associated with aplastic anemia, myelofibrosis, etc.

(2) Anemia caused by deficiency or utilization disorder of hematopoietic substances: such as iron deficiency anemia, sideroblastic anemia, megaloblastic anemia caused by folic acid and vitamin B12 deficiency.

2. Anemia caused by excessive destruction of red blood cells due to hereditary defects in red blood cell membranes and enzymes or external factors, such as hereditary spherocytosis, thalassemia, paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, abnormal hemoglobinopathy, immune hemolytic anemia, major surgery with extracorporeal cardiac circulation, and hemolytic anemia caused by some chemical and biological factors.

3. Blood loss: anemia caused by acute blood loss or chronic blood loss such as gastrointestinal ulcer, hookworm disease, etc.

The above is an introduction to the causes of low hemoglobin in newborns. From the above introduction, we can know that there are two main reasons for low hemoglobin in newborns, namely physiological reasons and pathological reasons. If it's the former, there's no need to worry. If it is the latter, you need to go to the hospital for treatment in time.