{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T12:28:54Z","timestamp":1785414534228,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":23,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,13]],"date-time":"2026-06-13T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1781308800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100005790","name":"Thammasat University","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["TUFT 45\/2565"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["TUFT 45\/2565"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100005790","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"award":["TUFT 45\/2565"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["TUFT 45\/2565"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/002yp7f20","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Children"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Iron deficiency is common in very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants because of limited iron stores, rapid postnatal growth and repeated phlebotomy. Early detection is essential to prevent anaemia and neurodevelopmental impairment. This study investigated the prevalence of, and factors associated with, iron deficiency at hospital discharge using serum ferritin and the reticulocyte haemoglobin equivalent (RET-He). Methods: In this prospective cohort study, iron status was evaluated in 68 VLBW infants admitted between April 2022 and March 2024 at 36 weeks post-menstrual age (PMA) or at discharge. Iron deficiency was defined as serum ferritin below 75 ng\/mL or RET-He below 28 pg. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to explore clinical factors associated with iron deficiency. Iron status and anaemia were reassessed at 6\u201312 months of age. Results: At 36 weeks PMA or discharge, 39.7% of the infants were iron deficient, whereas only 1.5% were anaemic. Higher gestational age (aOR 1.81, 95% CI 1.07\u20133.06) and lower haemoglobin at birth (aOR 0.63, 95% CI 0.42\u20130.96) were independently associated with iron deficiency. Bronchopulmonary dysplasia showed a possible association (aOR 14.02, 95% CI 1.23\u2013160.34), though this estimate should be interpreted cautiously. At 6\u201312 months, 18.8% of the patients had anaemia and 50% had iron deficiency, with no significant associated factors identified, likely reflecting the limited sample availability. Conclusions: Iron deficiency is common in VLBW infants and often precedes anaemia. Assessment of iron status beyond haemoglobin before discharge may be clinically justified to guide early supplementation, though further prospective multicentre studies are needed to confirm whether routine dual-biomarker screening is warranted.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/children13060817","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,17]],"date-time":"2026-06-17T10:19:53Z","timestamp":1781691593000},"page":"817","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Prevalence and Predictors of Iron Deficiency at Hospital Discharge in Very-Low-Birth-Weight Infants: A Prospective Single-Center Observational Study Using RET-He and Serum Ferritin"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Pacharapan","family":"Surapolchai","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Thammasat University, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Phakatip","family":"Sinlapamongkolkul","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Thammasat University, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sariya","family":"Prachukthum","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Thammasat University, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Tasama","family":"Pusongchai","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Thammasat University, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Wallee","family":"Satayasai","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Thammasat University, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sudatip","family":"Kositamongkol","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Thammasat University, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand"},{"name":"Thammasat University Center of Excellence in Modern Technology and Advanced Manufacturing for Medical Innovation, Thammasat University, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,13]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"German, K.R., and Juul, S.E. 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