Anemias in Childhood Resulting from Bone-Marrow Deficiencies

Abstract

The rapid growth in the first year of life is the major cause of iron-deficiency anemia in infancy. Premature infants especially need supplemental iron. Oral iron therapy is very satisfactory. Intramuscular irondextran complex has produced excellent results clinically, but sarcomas have developed in animals receiving repeated injections at the same site.

Some aplastic or refractory anemias may be due to an inborn error of metabolism of tryptophan or nucleic acid, to an inhibitor produced in the spleen, or to a deficiency of erythropoietin.

Chloramphenicol should never be used in pediatric practice unless it is the only antibiotic known to be effective against a specific serious infection.

Cortisone and testosterone have proved to be of considerable value in selective cases of aplastic and hypoplastic anemias.