What is the most common cause of anemia in preterm infants?

Anemia of prematurity is indeed the most common cause of anemia in preterm infants. This condition arises due to several factors related to the immaturity of preterm infants. Preterm infants have a reduced ability to produce erythropoietin, the hormone responsible for stimulating red blood cell production in the bone marrow. Additionally, they often have a lower inventory of iron stores at birth due to being born before fully developing them.

In preterm infants, the lifespan of red blood cells may be shorter than in full-term infants, leading to a higher turnover of red blood cells. Moreover, preterm infants frequently require frequent blood sampling for monitoring and treatment, which contributes to an additional loss of red blood cells. All these factors together contribute to the development of anemia of prematurity.

Iron deficiency anemia typically occurs when there isn’t enough iron for hemoglobin synthesis, and while it is a concern in infants, it is less common in the early months of life, especially in preterm infants who may receive iron supplementation.

Hemolytic anemia involves the premature destruction of red blood cells but is less common in preterm infants compared to anemia of prematurity. Folate deficiency anemia occurs due to inadequate folate levels, which is rare in infants who are