HEMATOPOIESIS IN PREMATURE INFANTS WITH SPECIAL CONSIDERATION OF THE EFFECT OF IRON AND OF ANIMAL-PROTEIN FACTOR
Normal values in the first 3 months of life have been determined for hemoglobin, erythrocytes, reticulocytes, platelets, leukocytes and differential counts for premature infants with birth weights less than 1200 gm., and for those between 1200 and 1500 gm. at birth. No significant difference was found in the degree of depression of levels of hemoglobin and erythrocytes when values in the 2 weight groups were compared. Two reticulocyte peaks occur during the first 3 months of life. The first peak is present immediately after birth. The second peak, at about the eighth week, coincides with the occurrence of the greatest degree of anemia. Neither iron therapy nor treatment with animal-protein factor containing vitamin B12 and Aureomycin®, started before the end of the third week of life, had a statistically significant effect on the early phase of the anemia of prematurity. Untreated premature infants and those given animal-protein factor were anemic at the end of the first year of life. Subjects given iron therapy had normal hemoglobin values at one year of age. Blood transfusion is rarely necessary in the treatment of the anemia of prematurity.