Pathak A, Roth P, Piscitelli J, Johnson L. Effects of vitamin E supplementation during erythropoietin treatment of the anaemia of prematurity.

Inability to produce enough red blood cells, causing "anemia of prematurity."

Anemia of prematurity refers to a form of anemia affecting preterm infants with decreased hematocrit.

Anemia of prematurity, by diminished erythropoietin response to declining hematocrit levels, combined with blood loss from laboratory testing, generally occurs in premature infants at two to six weeks of age.

Early treatment with erythropoietin correlated with an increase in the risk of Retinopathy of prematurity in premature infants who had anemia of prematurity, raising concern that the angiogenic actions of erythropoietin may exacerbate retinopathy.