Anemia

What is an Anemia

Anemia is a condition in which you do not have enough red blood cells or hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is a substance in red blood cells that carries oxygen.

When you do not have enough red blood cells or hemoglobin (are anemic), your body cannot get enough oxygen and your organs may not work properly. As a result, you may feel very tired or have other problems.

What are the causes?

Common causes of anemia include:

• Excessive bleeding. Anemia can be caused by excessive bleeding inside or outside the body, including bleeding from the intestine or from periods in women.
• Poor nutrition.
• Long-lasting (chronic) kidney, thyroid, and liver disease.
• Bone marrow disorders.
• Cancer and treatments for cancer.
• HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome).
• Treatments for HIV and AIDS.
• Spleen problems.
• Blood disorders.
• Infections, medicines, and autoimmune disorders that destroy red blood cells.

What are the signs or symptoms?

Symptoms of this condition include:

• Minor weakness.
• Dizziness.
• Headache.
• Feeling heartbeats that are irregular or faster than normal (palpitations).
• Shortness of breath, especially with exercise.
• Paleness.
• Cold sensitivity.
• Indigestion.
• Nausea.
• Difficulty sleeping.
• Difficulty concentrating.

Symptoms may occur suddenly or develop slowly. If your anemia is mild, you may not have symptoms.

How is this diagnosed?

This condition is diagnosed based on:

• Blood tests.
• Your medical history.
• A physical exam.
• Bone marrow biopsy.

Your health care provider may also check your stool (feces) for blood and may do additional testing to look for the cause of your bleeding.

You may also have other tests, including:

• Imaging tests, such as a CT scan or MRI.
• Endoscopy.
• Colonoscopy.

How is this treated?

Treatment for this condition depends on the cause. If you continue to lose a lot of blood, you may need to be treated at a hospital. Treatment may include:

• Taking supplements of iron, vitamin B12, or folic acid.
• Taking a hormone medicine (erythropoietin) that can help to stimulate red blood cell growth.
• Having a blood transfusion. This may be needed if you lose a lot of blood.
• Making changes to your diet.
• Having surgery to remove your spleen.

Follow these instructions at home:

• Take over-the-counter and prescription medicines only as told by your health care provider.
• Take supplements only as told by your health care provider.
• Follow any diet instructions that you were given.
• Keep all follow-up visits as told by your health care provider. This is important.

Contact a health care provider if:

• You develop new bleeding anywhere in the body.

Get help right away if:

• You are very weak.
• You are short of breath.
• You have pain in your abdomen or chest.
• You are dizzy or feel faint.
• You have trouble concentrating.
• You have bloody or black, tarry stools.
• You vomit repeatedly or you vomit up blood.

Summary

• Anemia is a condition in which you do not have enough red blood cells or enough of a substance in your red blood cells that carries oxygen (hemoglobin).
• Symptoms may occur suddenly or develop slowly.
• If your anemia is mild, you may not have symptoms.
• This condition is diagnosed with blood tests as well as a medical history and physical exam. Other tests may be needed.
• Treatment for this condition depends on the cause of the anemia.

Anemia of Prematurity

Anemia is a condition in which a baby does not have enough red blood cells or hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is a substance in red blood cells that carries oxygen. Without enough red blood cells or hemoglobin, your baby cannot get enough oxygen. Anemia that is not treated can affect your baby’s development.

Most babies develop anemia when they are 8–12 weeks old due to a normal breakdown of red blood cells. The anemia is called physiologic anemia when it affects full-term infants, and anemia of prematurity when it affects premature infants. The anemia is usually mild, but it can be more severe and occur earlier in babies born prematurely. This is because:

• Premature babies may be born before they get enough iron from their mothers to make enough hemoglobin. This can happen if the baby is born before the third trimester of pregnancy.
• Red blood cells in premature babies have a shorter life span than full-term infants.
• Premature babies lose blood due to numerous blood tests taken to monitor problems related to prematurity.
• Premature babies do not make blood cells as efficiently as full-term babies.

What are the causes?

This condition is caused by a normal breakdown of red blood cells. The body normally starts making new red blood cells at about 6–8 weeks after birth.

What are the signs or symptoms?

Symptoms of this condition include:

• Poor weight gain.
• Difficulty feeding.
• Pale skin.
• Rapid heart rate.
• Decreased activity.
• Stops in breathing (apnea).
• Rapid breathing.
• A yellow color to the skin or the white part of the eyes (jaundice).

If the condition is mild, your child may not have symptoms.

How is this diagnosed?

This condition is diagnosed with a blood tests that measures the concentration of red blood cells in the blood. Your baby may also have other tests to rule out possible causes of anemia and to check to see if the body is making new red blood cells.

How is this treated?

Treatment depends on how premature your baby is, the severity of the anemia, your baby’s symptoms, and your baby’s overall condition. Treatment may involve:

• Limiting the number of blood tests your baby receives.
• Giving your baby vitamins and iron supplements.
• Giving your baby red blood cell transfusions.
• Giving your baby medicines.
• Feeding your baby with formula enriched with iron.

Follow these instructions at home:

• Watch your child carefully for symptoms that require medical attention.
• Feed your baby with formula enriched with iron.
• Give your child vitamins and supplements only as told by your baby’s health care provider.
• Give your baby over-the-counter and prescription medicines only as told by your baby’s health care provider.
• Follow any feeding instructions you were given.
• Keep all follow-up visits as told by your baby’s health care provider. This is important.

Contact a health care provider if:

• Your baby has signs that the anemia may be returning. Watch for:
  • Pale skin.
  • Easy tiring.
  • Poor feeding.
  • Excessive sleepiness.
  • Jaundice. Report if your baby develops jaundice or your baby’s jaundice gets worse.
  • Fever.

Get help right away if:

• Your baby’s breathing is very fast or labored.
• Your baby has stops in breathing (apnea) that last more than 20 seconds.
• Your baby feeds very little or not at all.
• Your baby who is younger than 3 months has a temperature of 100°F (38°C) or higher.
• Your baby goes 12 hours without wetting his or her diaper.
• It is hard to wake your baby.
• Your baby has a very weak cry.

Summary

• Anemia is a condition in which your baby does not have enough red blood cells or hemoglobin.
• This condition is diagnosed with a blood tests that measures the concentration of red blood cells in the blood.
• Treatment depends on how premature your baby is, the severity of the anemia, your baby’s symptoms, and your baby’s overall condition.
• Watch your child carefully for symptoms that require medical attention.

Anemia, Infant

Anemia is a condition in which your baby does not have enough red blood cells or hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is a substance in red blood cells that carries oxygen. Without enough red blood cells or hemoglobin, your baby cannot get enough oxygen. Anemia that is not treated can lead to growth (developmental) problems.

There are several types of anemia that can affect babies. One common type is called physiologic anemia. Most babies develop this type of anemia when they are 8–12 weeks old due to a normal breakdown of red blood cells. The anemia is usually mild and goes away when the body starts the process of replacing red blood cells.

What are the causes?

This condition may be caused by:

• A normal breakdown of red blood cells.
• Bleeding before or during delivery.
• Too many red blood cells breaking down after birth. This can happen if the baby and his or her mother have a different blood type.
• Conditions affecting the mother, such as anemia, high blood pressure, or diabetes.
• Premature birth.
• Inherited problems in which red blood cells break down too rapidly.
• An infection.
• Getting blood drawn often.

What increases the risk?

Your baby is more likely to develop this condition if:

• Your baby loses blood before or during delivery.
• Your baby and the baby’s mother have a different blood type.
• The baby’s mother has a medical condition, such as anemia, high blood pressure, or diabetes.
• Your baby was born prematurely.

What are the signs or symptoms?

Symptoms of this condition include:

• Pale skin.
• Fast heartbeat.
• Fast breathing.
• Stops in breathing (apnea).
• Tiring easily while feeding.
• Being sleepier or less active than expected.
• Poor appetite.
• A yellow color to the skin or the white part of the eyes (jaundice).

If the condition is mild, your child may not have symptoms.

How is this diagnosed?

This condition is diagnosed based on:

• A physical exam.
• What happened in the period before and after your baby was born (perinatal period).

Your baby may also have some or all of the following tests:

• Blood tests.
• An ultrasound. This is a test that uses sound waves to examine internal organs.
• A test of a sample of bone marrow (rare). This test is done to see if there are specific problems with the making of new blood cells.

How is this treated?

Treatment for infant anemia depends on the cause and severity of the condition. Mild cases of anemia may not need to be treated. More advanced cases may be treated with or by:

• Giving your baby red blood cell transfusions.
• Giving your baby vitamins and iron supplements.
• Limiting the number of blood tests your baby receives.
• Giving your baby medicines.
• Feeding your baby with iron-enriched formula.

Follow these instructions at home:

• Watch your child carefully for symptoms that require medical attention.
• Give your child vitamins and supplements only as told by your baby’s health care provider.
• Feed your baby with formula that is enriched with iron.
• Follow any feeding instructions you were given.
• Give your baby over-the-counter and prescription medicines only as told by your baby’s health care provider.
• Keep all follow-up visits as told by your child’s health care provider. This is important.

Contact a health care provider if:

• Your baby becomes paler.
• Your baby is less active than before.
• Your baby does not feed properly or feeding problems become worse.
• Your baby develops jaundice or your baby’s jaundice gets worse.
• Your baby has a fever.

Get help right away if:

• Your baby has stops in breathing (apnea) that last more than 20 seconds.
• Your baby feeds very little or not at all.
• Your baby has a very weak cry.
• It is hard to wake your baby.
• Your baby goes 12 hours without wetting his or her diaper.
• Your baby is breathing very fast.
• Your baby who is younger than 3 months has a temperature of 100°F (38°C) or higher.

Summary

• Anemia is a condition in which your baby does not have enough red blood cells or hemoglobin.
• This condition is diagnosed with a blood tests that measures the concentration of red blood cells in the blood.
• Treatment for this condition depends on the severity of the anemia, your baby’s symptoms, and your baby’s overall condition.
• Watch your child carefully for symptoms that require medical attention.