Anemia of prematurity defines a pathological condition unlike the physiologic anemia of the newborn. Multiple physiologic and non-physiologic factors contribute to the anemia of prematurity. Especially very low birth weight infants frequently undergo allogenic erythrocyte suspension (ES) transfusions as part of their care in the neonatal intensive care unit. The benefit of transfusing allogenic ES for anemia of prematurity is a controversial issue, except for disturbances in tissue oxygenation. Restrictive transfusion guidelines have been proposed over the last decade due to a greater perception of the risks and benefits of ES transfusions. Preventive approaches for anemia have been raised, especially in premature newborns. The basic principle of these approaches depends on providing high hemoglobin levels for premature infants in the delivery room. This review summarizes the pathophysiology, treatment and preventative strategies of anemia of prematurity in light of the current literature.

Keywords: prematüre anemisi, eritropoetin, eritrosit süspansiyonu, kordon klemplenmesinin geciktirilmesi, göbek kordonu sıvazlanması.