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The search for a better way to screen infants for iron deficiency
Investigators compared measurement of reticulocyte hemoglobin content (CHr) with measurement of hemoglobin as a means of screening healthy infants for iron deficiency. Of 202 9- to 12-month-old infants initially enrolled in a prospective study, 23 (11.4%) had iron deficiency and six (3%) had iron deficiency and anemia, as gauged by transferrin saturation and hematologic parameters. From this initial group, 147 infants (none with anemia) were rescreened for iron deficiency at subsequent well-baby visits over a median of 5.6 months.
Infants who were iron-deficient, as well as those who were not, had significantly different values for all measured biochemical and hematologic markers of iron deficiency. Investigators identified a CHr threshold of <27.5 pg for detecting iron deficiency in infants at initial screening. Overall, reticulocyte hemoglobin content was more accurate than hemoglobin for detecting iron deficiency.
In addition, CHr <27.5 pg without anemia at initial screening was associated with anemia at screening a year later. Of 45 nonanemic infants with CHr <27.5 pg at initial screening, four developed anemia. But only one of the 102 nonanemic infants with CHr <27.5 or higher at initial screening was anemic at follow-up (Ullrich C et al: JAMA 2005;294:924).
The benefits of concurrent fetal and maternal heart rate monitoring
April 17th 2024A recent study revealed that employing maternal heart rate monitoring alongside fetal heart rate monitoring during labor significantly decreases the incidence of neonatal encephalopathy and severe neonatal acidemia.
Stress ulcer prophylaxis does not provide prevention of gastrointestinal bleeding in neonates
December 4th 2023In a poster abstract presented at the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Midyear Clinical Meeting & Exhibition held in Anaheim, California, stress ulcer prophylaxis (SUP) did not appear to provide benefit for prevention of gastrointestinal bleeding and did not increase SUP-associated adverse effects.
Hematocrit levels in newborns: EPP vs DCC study reveals surprising findings
November 15th 2023A recent study in JAMA Network Open investigates the impact of extrauterine placental perfusion versus delayed cord clamping on hematocrit levels in newborns, shedding light on potential alternatives for optimizing infant outcomes during birth.
