Anemia is a common blood disorder that occurs when the body has fewer red blood cells than normal. Red blood cells carry oxygen throughout the body using a protein called hemoglobin. If there aren’t enough of these cells or this protein, anemia results.
Anemia is often a symptom of a disease rather than a disease itself. In some cases, anemia is temporary and caused by a nutritional deficiency or blood loss. In others, it’s the result of a chronic or inherited condition, including genetic disorders, autoimmune problems, cancers and other diseases. While many types of anemia can be mild and easily corrected, certain types of anemia can be severe, chronic and/or life-threatening.
Types of anemia include:
- iron deficiency anemia
- iron-refractory iron deficiency anemia (IRIDA)
- congenital sideroblastic anemia
- megaloblastic anemia
- hemolytic anemia
- sickle cell anemia
- thalassemia
- aplastic anemia
- Fanconi anemia
- Diamond-Blackfan anemia
Anemia Treatment
Children and young adults with anemia are regularly treated by Dr Ganesh Jaishetwar. Our program brings together world-class pediatric hematology specialist and support staff with vast experience, including pediatric hematologist/oncologists, hematopathologists, hematology nurse practitioners.
The first step in treating your child is forming an accurate and complete diagnosis. Anemia is usually discovered during a medical exam through simple blood tests that measure the concentration of hemoglobin and the number of red blood cells. Diagnostic procedures to determine the underlying cause of the anemia may include:
- complete medical history and physical examination
- measurement of hematocrit, the percent of red blood cells found in a specific volume of blood
- hemoglobin electrophoresis to determine the amount and type of hemoglobin in the blood
- additional blood tests
- bone marrow aspiration and biopsy
There may be other diagnostic tests that your doctor will discuss with you depending on your child’s individual situation. After we complete all necessary tests, our experts meet to review and discuss what they have learned about your child’s condition. Then we will meet with you and your family to discuss the results and outline the best possible treatment options.
Depending on the specific cause of your child’s anemia, your child’s physician may recommend a variety of different treatments. Treatments for various forms of anemia may include:
- vitamin and mineral supplements
- change in your child’s diet
- medication and/or discontinuing causative medications
- treatment of the underlying disorder
- surgery to remove the spleen (if related to certain hemolytic anemias)
- blood transfusions, if necessary (to replace significant loss)
- antibiotics (as appropriate if infection is the cause)
- stem cell transplant (for bone marrow failure, such as aplastic anemia, Fanconi anemia or Diamond-Blackfan anemia)
Of course, your child’s team of doctors will help determine the best approach for your child’s unique situation, based on a number of factors including:
- Your child’s age, overall health and medical history
- The severity of the disease
- Your child’s tolerance for certain medications, procedures or therapies
- How your child’s doctors expect the disease to progress
- Your opinion and preferences
The long-term outlook for children with anemia depends on the specific cause of the anemia. Some forms of anemia, such as a nutritional deficiency, can be treated quickly and don’t require significant long-term follow-up care.
In other cases, in which the anemia is caused by a genetic condition or other serious underlying disorder, your child may need regular follow-up by our hematologists. Your child’s physician can discuss your child’s specific care plan.
If you’d like to talk with someone whose child has been treated for anemia, we can put you in touch with other families who have been through the same experience that you and your child are facing.