Anemia is a common clinical manifestation in childhood and one of the main factors affecting the growth and development of babies and inducing infectious diseases, so it is important to pay attention to the prevention of anemia in babies, especially premature babies! Why should preterm babies pay special attention to prevent anemia? Iron storage in the baby’s body is mainly transported to the fetus through the placenta in the later stages of gestation, so premature babies do not have enough iron reserves, in addition, the baby grows and develops quickly. 3~5 months for the newborn weight of 2 times, 1 year old weight for the newborn 3 times. Preterm babies gain weight more quickly, with weight gain blood volume also increases rapidly, if not supplemented with iron, babies, especially preterm babies are prone to iron deficiency anemia. What are the dangers of anemia? In addition to affecting the production of hemoglobin, iron deficiency also affects the synthesis of myoglobin, which reduces the activity of certain enzymes in the body, thus affecting the function of various organs in the body. Iron deficiency anemia is manifested as pallor (pay special attention to the lips, nails), weakness, inactivity, and decreased appetite, often with vomiting, diarrhea, stomatitis, lingual inflammation, gastritis and indigestion. Iron deficiency affects the intellectual development of children, manifested as irritability, mental inattention, memory loss. The resistance of the body decreases, and it is easy to get infected with diseases. How to prevent anemia in preterm babies? Preterm babies start to use iron from the time they are discharged from the hospital. Babies with anemia are given 4 mg of elemental iron per kg of body weight per day, and 2 mg of elemental iron per kg of body weight per day after the anemia has been corrected, to prevent anemia, and continue to be given until they reach one year of age. The dose of iron given includes the iron content of formula and food. Parents of preterm babies should check the blood routine every 1~2 months, if the hemoglobin is below 11 g/liter, it is considered anemia. It should be treated by a doctor promptly. Usually use iron dextrose, iron L, ferrous sulfate, iron fumarate, iron gluconate, etc. Take the medicine according to the doctor’s order. It is best to take iron between meals to minimize gastrointestinal irritation, and vitamin C to promote iron absorption. Mothers often ask, “Does my preterm baby still need to take iron supplements after adding iron containing rice powder? Iron supplementation is still needed because the amount of iron in rice flour is very small and the amount of rice flour eaten is not much. In addition to taking iron supplements, some babies will have gastrointestinal reactions, you can start with a small amount and gradually adapt to it, because iron supplementation is very important for the child’s intellectual development, so preterm babies must take it consistently.