. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2010 Mar 4.

Published in final edited form as: Neoreviews. 2008 Nov 1;9(11):526–533. doi: 10.1542/neo.9-11-e526

Table 1.

Estimated Annual Small-volume RBC Transfusions Administered to VLBW Infants Weighing ≤ 1.5 kg at Birth in the United States in 1980 and 2000

	1980	2000
Total number of liveborn infants	3,600,000	4,025,000
Percentage of VLBW births	1.2%	1.4%
Annual number of VLBW births	43,200	56,350
Percentage of VLBW infants transfused	88%^*	65%^†
Estimated number of VLBW infants transfused	38,000	36,600
Mean number of RBC transfusions/transfused VLBW infant	7.0^*	4.9^†
Estimated number of RBC transfusions administered to VLBW infants	265,000	180,000

Based on 50 consecutive Iowa neonatal intensive care unit admissions in 1982, excluding infants dying before 2 weeks of age, undergoing cardiac surgery, and receiving RBC transfusions before or after transfer (4).

^†

Based on 819 consecutive Iowa VLBW admissions from 2000 through 2005, excluding RBC transfusions before or after transfer (unpublished).

RBC=red blood cell, VLBW=very low-birthweight