Risk Factors and Clinical Outcomes of Neonatal Anemia in NICU

Assiut University

Status

Not yet enrolling

Conditions

Anemia of Neonates

Hemolytic Disease of Newborn

Sepsis

Study type

Observational

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT07188298

neonatal anemia

Details and patient eligibility

About

Risk Factors, and Clinical Outcomes of Neonatal Anemia in the NICU of a Tertiary Care Hospital

Full description

Neonatal anemia is one of the most common hematological problems encountered in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), particularly among preterm and very low birth-weight (VLBW) infants. It is defined as a hemoglobin (Hb) or hematocrit (Hct) concentration below the normal range for gestational and postnatal age, often necessitating clinical intervention to ensure adequate tissue oxygenation and prevent long-term neurodevelopmental consequences Anemia: Hb <13 g/dL in term newborns; Hb <12 g/dL in preterm neonates within the first week of life, according to WHO criteria The pathophysiology is multifactorial, involving both physiological and pathological processes. In preterm neonates, the condition known as anemia of prematurity (AOP) is primarily characterized by reduced erythropoietin production, shortened red blood cell (RBC) lifespan, and rapid postnatal growth that increases iron demand Globally, over 80% of extremely preterm infants (<28 weeks of gestation) require at least one RBC transfusion during their hospitalization . In Egypt, recent tertiary-level NICU data suggest that the prevalence of neonatal anemia among admitted preterm infants exceeds 60%, with many requiring multiple transfusions in the first month of life Major contributing factors include iatrogenic blood loss from frequent phlebotomy, insufficient iron stores at birth due to shortened gestation, hemolysis (immune or non-immune), and acute blood loss from perinatal events

Enrollment

40 estimated patients

Sex

All

Ages

1 to 30 days old

Volunteers

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria