ANEMIA OF INFANCY FROM MATERNAL IRON DEFICIENCY IN PREGNANCY 123

Abstract

The blood of 2 groups of infants, born of anemic and normal mothers respectively, was examined at birth and at 1 yr. of age. Both groups were entirely normal at birth, anemia in the mother having no effect on the new-born offspring. Both groups had the same care and feeding. At 1 yr. all the infants of anemic mothers had severe anemia and all the infants of normal mothers had normal blood. The infants of 3 mothers, treated for anemia during pregnancy so that they were not anemic at term, did not develop anemia at 1 yr. All the anemic infants were cured by Fe therapy. This anemia of infancy is attributed to defective storage of blood-building materials conditioned by deficiency of the maternal organism in pregnancy, and these observations may make the etiology of other anemias of infancy clear.