Evaluation and management of neonatal anemia and blood transfusion / 中国小儿急救医学

ABSTRACT

Anemia and blood transfusion are common clinical problems in newborns, especially premature infants.What are the definition and influencing factors of neonatal anemia? What is the difference between anemia in preterm infants and full-term infants? What are the changes of pathophysiology and their effects on tissues and cells during neonatal anemia? What are the prevention strategies and treatment methods of neonatal anemia? Is there a uniform hemoglobin threshold for neonatal transfusion of red blood cells? What are the risks of blood transfusion? In view of the above problems, this review proposed that the definition of anemia should consider the effects of gestational age, day age, intrauterine or postnatal development status(such as growth retardation), nutrition and so on. "Physiological anemia of infancy" can occur in healthy term infants; "anemia of prematurity" can not be considered as a physiologic and benign event, which is related to the low level of endogenous erythropoietin and iatrogenic blood loss.It is emphasized that neonatal anemia(especially premature infants) is preventable and can be prevented, and prevention is more important than treatment.Neonates lack a uniform hemoglobin threshold and are at risk of blood transfusion during red blood cell transfusion.