Introduction:

anemia in the newborn is a serious public health problem causing infant mortality and morbidity in early neonatal life.

Objective:

to update knowledge on anemia in the newborn in order to outline strategies that contribute to early, timely and accurate diagnosis and treatment.

Methods:

the databases Pubmed, Cochrane Library, SCielo and the academic Google search engine were consulted in search of articles published in Spanish and English up to the present time related to the subject. We used as reference 24 articles taken as a basis for the present bibliographic review.

Development:

anemia is a decrease in red blood cell mass and/or hemoglobin concentration below the second standard deviation from the mean for age and sex. It is caused by a failure in the production, loss or hemolysis of red blood cells. It is most prevalent in the neonatal period, in premature infants, whose causes may be multifactorial or in the course of other co-morbidities. The severity as well as the response to treatment increases the risk of developing even more serious diseases with repercussions on quality of life.

Conclusions:

an update on neonatal anemia was developed allowing an optimal and updated management of neonatal anemia, useful for neonatology services and personnel in training.

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