Why does my baby need a blood transfusion?
- 5 hours ago
- 2 min read
Why transfusions are needed in preterm infants
Babies—especially premature babies—naturally have lower red blood cell levels over time. This happens for a few reasons:
Their bodies aren’t making new red blood cells as quickly as they would if they were a term infant.
Their red blood cells break down faster than an adult red blood cell because after birth the body naturally wants to replace fetal hemoglobin to adult hemoglobin which is what is inside the red blood cell to be able to adapt to being outside the womb.
While the baby is in the NICU, they are getting frequent blood draws to make sure that the TPN (IV nutrition) is appropriate for their specific nutritional needs and to make sure that if they are on breathing support that it is doing its job getting rid of the carbon dioxide and allowing the baby to take in oxygen. So these tests can lower the red blood cell levels in the baby's blood faster than the baby can replace them.
Why are red blood cells are important?
They carry oxygen to the brain and body. When levels get too low, it can make it harder for your baby to grow, breathe comfortably, and heal.
Is a blood transfusion safe?
The blood that is used is very carefully screened and matched to the baby’s specific blood type. It’s tested for infections and handled under very strict safety guidelines. Most of the blood used in NICUs in the United States comes from the Red Cross.
Why parents can’t donate directly
A natural question many parents have is whether they can donate blood for their baby. While that sounds ideal, it takes time (typically a few weeks) to process and fully test donated blood to make sure it’s completely safe, even when it comes from a parent.
We need blood that is specially prepared for newborns, including being matched and treated in very specific ways to eliminate any possibility for an infection to occur.
In most cases the baby will need that blood urgently and there isn't time to wait for a parent's blood to be tested and processed.
But it is a good time to consider donating blood so that someone else's baby may benefit in the future.