EARLY ANEMIA OF PREMATURITY

The objective of the present investigation was to study the effect of early prophylactic enteral administration of elemental iron, as ferrou s sulfate, at the dose of 4 mg/kg/day to preterm neonates with a birth weight of less than 1600 g and a gestational age of 35 weeks, on earl y anemia of prematurity, and to determine the need for vitamin E suppl ementation (25 IU/day). Forty neonates were divided into 4 groups resp ectively receiving the following supplementations starting at 15 days of life: Group I, placebo; Group II, iron; Group m, iron + vitamin E; Group IV, vitamin E. Between 24 and 72 hours of life and at 2 months /- 5 days, each infant was evaluated for weight, length, head circumfe rence, hemoglobin, hematocrit, reticulocytes, platelets, and red cell resistance to hydrogen peroxide. No significant differences were obser ved between groups for any of the parameters studied, suggesting that the dose of 4 mg/kg/day of iron and the use of vitamin E, 25 IU/day, h ad no effect on early anemia of prematurity. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Inc.