| Summary: | Professional societies have published recommendations for iron dosing of preterm neonates, but differences exist between guidelines. To help develop standardized guidelines, we performed a 10-year analysis of iron dosing in groups at risk for iron deficiency: IDM (infants of diabetic mothers), SGA (small for gestational age), and VLBW premature neonates (very low birth weight, <1500 g). We analyzed iron dosing after red cell transfusions and erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESA). Of IDM, 11.8% received iron in the hospital; 9.8% of SGA and 27.1% of VLBW neonates received iron. Twenty percent of those who received iron had it started by day 14; 63% by 1 month. Supplemental iron was stopped after red cell transfusions in 73% of neonates receiving iron. An ESA was administered to 1677, of which 33% received iron within 3 days. This marked variation indicates that a consistent approach is needed, and using this report and a literature review, we standardized our iron-dosing guidelines.
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