The Blood During the First Year of Life

That an anemia of variable severity and duration tends to develop in premature infants has long been the general belief among pediatricians. Hess1spoke of "an anemia which develops quite regularly and strikingly during the first three months of life." Mackay2mentioned the "early and severe anemia" which occurs in all premature infants. Lucas and Washburn3stated that premature infants seem particularly prone to the development of a mild degree of anemia during the first six to twelve months of life, and that the erythrocyte count for the average premature infant six months after birth is lower than that of a full term infant at the same age. Parts of this subject have been carefully studied in Germany, and Abt and Nagel4recently reported on a series of premature infants in this country. I. SURVEY OF THE LITERATURE A. Blood Elements in Premature Infants.—1. Erythrocytes