Description
A baby girl presented to the paediatricians at five weeks of age with failure to thrive. She was found to be severely anaemic (Hb 5 g/dl). She had been born at term after an uneventful pregnancy; there was no history of overt blood loss and she received im prophylactic vitamin K tablets at birth. There was no family history of note and she was the second child of Caucasian parents, the older 9 year old sister having had no history of significant illness. The baby was breast fed and had transient neonatal jaundice which settled by the end of the first week of life without treatment. On examination she looked generally healthy although she was pale and had mild splenomegaly (1-2cm).
