Journal Article

Hyperferritinemia among very-low-birthweight infants in Thailand: a prospective cohort study

Christensen, Robert D., Tantanate, Chaicharoen, Ngerncham, Sopapan, Laohajeeraphan, Cholticha

2024

Overview

Objectives To determine the incidence of hyperferritinemia in VLBW infants, and its association with neonatal morbidity. Study design Prospective cohort study in a tertiary-level hospital in Bangkok, from March 2022 to January 2023. Serum ferritin (SF) was measured in VLBW infants at one month and repeated monthly for those with hyperferritinemia (SF > 300 ng/mL). Results Gestational age and birth weight were 29.7 ± 2.4 weeks (mean ± SD) and 1100 g (IQR, 830, 1340). Hyperferritinemia was identified in 30.1% (95% CI, 20.8–41.4). After adjustment, only packed red cell transfusion >15 mL/kg was associated with hyperferritinemia (RR 3.1; 95% CI, 1.5–6.4). All elevated SF levels returned to normal within four months. Hyperferritinemia was associated with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (RR 2.3, 95% CI, 1.0–5.4) and retinopathy of prematurity (RR 3.5, 95% CI, 1.4–8.6). Conclusion Hyperferritinemia is common among our VLBW infants, particularly after transfusion, and is associated with severe BPD and ROP.

• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group US,Nature Publishing Group
• Subject: 692/499 / 692/699/1541 / Birth weight / Blood tests / Cohort analysis / Ferritin / Gestational age / Hospitals / Infants / Iron / Lung diseases / Medicine / Medicine & Public Health / Morbidity / Neonatal care / Neonates / Newborn babies / Nutrition / Parenteral nutrition / Pediatric Surgery / Pediatrics / Premature babies / Retinopathy / Sepsis / Transfusion