CHILD'S HEALTH 3 - Haem, Genetics, MSK, Neonatal Flashcards
(303 cards)
Name some common causes of anemia in infancy/neonate. What is the most common?
Physiologic anaemia of infancy causes most cases of anaemia in infancy.
The other causes of anaemia in infants are:
Anaemia of prematurity
Blood loss
Anaemia due to Haemolysis
Twin-twin transfusion, where blood is unequally distributed between twins that share a placenta
Name some hemolytic causes of anemia in neonates
Haemolytic disease of the newborn (ABO or rhesus incompatibility)
Hereditary spherocytosis
G6PD deficiency
Outline what happens in Physiologic Anaemia of Infancy
Happens around 6-9 weeks of age
High oxygen delivery to the tissues caused by the high hemoglobin levels at birth causes negative feedback.
==> Production of erythropoietin is suppressed ==> = reduced production of haemoglobin by the bone marrow.
Also due to: plasma dilution associated with increasing blood volume
– shorter life span on neonatal RBCs (50-70 days)
What causes Anaemia of prematurity
Less time in utero receiving iron from the mother
Red blood cell creation cannot keep up with the rapid growth in the first few weeks
Reduced erythropoietin levels
Blood tests remove a significant portion of their circulating volume
Protein content of breast milk may not be sufficient for
hematopoiesis in the premature infant
Outline what happens in hemolytic disease of the newborn (also known as Erythroblastosis fetalis)
Happens when rhesus anitgens on surface of mother and foetus RBC aren’t compatabile
If mother is rhesus D negative, and fetus is Rhesus D postive, foetal blood can cross placenta and enter mothers bloodstream
==> Mother will recognise the rhesus D antigen as foreign and produce antibodies to it ==> (mother becomes sensitised to rhesus D antigens)
Usually not a problem in inital pregnacy
If pregnant again, mothers anti-D antibodies can cross the placenta.
If that fetus is rhesus positive, these antibodies attach themselves to the red blood cells of the fetus and causes the immune system of the fetus to attack its own red blood cells
To who and why would you give anti-D prophyalxis ?
To Rhesus D negative mothers who are not sensitised.
The aim of this prophylaxis is to prevent RhD alloimmunisation, which could lead to future pregnancies being affected by HDFN.
if already sensitised -, anti-D prophylaxis would be ineffective as the immune response has already been triggered. These patients would require close monitoring and possible interventions to prevent HDFN.
what events would make you want to give anti D prophylaxis to rhesus negative mothers? (w a foetus who is rhesus d positive)
Rh-negative pregnant women, in these scenarios:
Routine Prophylaxis:
At 28 weeks of pregnancy.
Within 72 hours of delivery if the baby is Rh-positive.
After Potential Fetal-Maternal Bleeding Events:
Miscarriage, abortion, ectopic pregnancy, or molar pregnancy.
Invasive procedures like amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling.
Trauma to the abdomen or antepartum hemorrhage.
What is the treatment for haemolytic disease of the newborn?
Phototherapy – Expose to ultraviolet light, converts unconjugated bilirubin to a conjugated form that is easier for the infant to clear.
Immunoglobulin therapy
What are the causes of Microcytic anaemia?
A helpful mnemonic for understanding the causes of microcytic anaemia is TAILS.
T – Thalassaemia
A – Anaemia of chronic disease
I – Iron deficiency anaemia
L – Lead poisoning
S – Sideroblastic anaemia
Anaemia caused by iron deficiency is the most common cause of anaemia worldwide. - What are some causes of it?
- Vegetarian/ vegan diet -
Low birth weight
During infancy and puberty when you are growing loads
dietary- excessive cows milk intake, occult GI bleeding (eg Hookworm) - Inflammatory bowel disease/Coeliac impairs iron absorption
- Certain drugs e.g. PPIs inhibit gastric acid, so non haem cannot be absorbed as it is not converted into haem iron
Heavy menstruation
What happens to RBC production as a result of iron deficiency?
Leads to impaired haemoglobin production.
Since there’s not enough haemoglobin for a normal sized RBC, the bone marrow starts pumping out microcytic RBCs. - these have less Haemoglobin so are called hypochromic, as appear pale
Microcytic RBCs can’t carry enough oxygen to the tissues - hypoxia.
Hypoxia signals the bone marrow to increase RBC production.
The bone marrow goes into overdrive and pumps out incompletely formed RBCs.
What are some signs of iron deficiency anaemia?
○ Pallor
○ Conjunctival pallor
○ Glossitis inflammation of the tongue
○ Koilonychia (spoon-shaped nails)
○ Angular stomatitis sored on the corners of the mouth
What are some symptoms of iron deficiency anaemia?
- Symptoms
○ Fatigue
○ Dyspnoea
○ Dizziness
○ Headache
○ Nausea
○ Bowel disturbance
○ Hairloss
○ Pica (abnormal cravings)
○ Possible exacerbation of cardiovascular co-morbidities causing angina, palpitations, and intermittent claudication.
What investigations would you do in suspected iron deficiency anaemia?
FBC blood count - look for low Hb, Low MCV, Low MCHC
Iron Studies - looking at:
- serum iron,
- serum ferritin,
- total iron binding capacity,
- transferrin saturation
What would someone with iron deficiency anaemia’s iron studies (serum iron, serum ferritin, total iron binding capacity, and transferrin saturation) look like?
○ Serum iron - low
○ Serum ferritin: low in anaemia
○ Total iron binding capacity: can be used as a marker for how much transferrin is in the blood. Increased in anaemia
○ Transferrin saturation: gives a good indication of the total iron in the body. Decreased in anaemia
Note - ferritin is an acute phase protein, so can also increase with inflammation (i.e. due to infection/malignancy)
What are the management options of iron deficiency anaemia?
- Treat the underlying cause
- Oral iron supplements: ferrous sulphate or ferrous fumarate
○ Side effects: constipation and black coloured stools, diarrhoea, nausea and dyspepsia/epigastric discomfort. - Iron infusion e.g. cosmofer
- Blood transfusions may be needed in severe cases
What is
a) Alpha Thalassaemia?
b) Beta Thalassaemia?
What is it’s genetic pattern, autosomal or sex linked, dominant or recessive?
Alpha Thalassaemia - genetic disorder where there’s a deficiency in production of the alpha globin chains of haemoglobin
Beta thalassaemia - is a genetic disorder where there’s a deficiency in the production of the β-globin chains of haemoglobin.
BOTH AUTOSOMAL RECESSIVE
Alpha thalassaemia - How many alleles, are responsible for alpha chain synthesis?
What does someone with one gene deletion experience?
What would someone with 2 gene deletions experience?
4 alleles, on chromosome 16
One gene deletion does not cause symptoms of alpha thalassaemia.
2 gene deletion - mildly anaemic with near-normal haemoglobin electrophoresis.
Alpha thalassaemia -
What would someone with 3 gene deletions experience, what do the beta chains form?
3 gene deletions are unable to form alpha chains. The beta chains form tetramers (HbH), which damage erythrocytes causing moderate to severe disease
Alpha thalassaemia -
What would someone with 4 gene deletions experience, what do the beta chains form?
4 gene deletions die in utero because the gamma chains form tetramers (Hb Barts), which cannot carry oxygen efficiently
What are the three types of beta thalassaemia?
The genes defect can either consist of abnormal copies that retain some function or deletion genes where there is no function in the beta-globin protein at all. Based on this, beta-thalassaemia can be split into three types:
Thalassaemia minor
Thalassaemia intermedia
Thalassaemia major
Beta Thalassaemia - what is seen in Thalassaemia minor - what would a patient with this experience?
Patients with beta thalassaemia minor are carriers of an abnormally functioning beta globin gene. They have one abnormal and one normal gene.
Thalassaemia minor causes a mild microcytic anaemia and usually patients only require monitoring and no active treatment.
Beta Thalassaemia - what is seen in Thalassaemia intermeida - what would a patient with this experience?
Patients with beta thalassaemia intermedia have two abnormal copies of the beta-globin gene. This can be either two defective genes or one defective gene and one deletion gene.
Thalassaemia intermedica causes a more significant microcytic anaemia
Beta Thalassaemia - what is seen in Thalassaemia major - what would a patient with this experience?
Patients with beta thalassaemia major are homozygous for the deletion genes. They have no functioning beta-globin genes at all. This is the most severe form and usually presents with severe anaemia and failure to thrive in early childhood.
Thalassaemia major causes:
Severe microcytic anaemia
Splenomegaly
Bone deformities