Neonatal iron supplementation for preterm infants greater than 34 weeks gestation

If your infant has been receiving exclusive breast milk and then starts on some formula feeds, then the duration of the iron supplementation will reduce to six months corrected age.

A trained healthcare professional, either within the hospital or community setting, will advise you on how to administer this medication. If you are breastfeeding, your baby can receive this iron supplement via a syringe. If you are bottle feeding, you can add this to 10 to 20ml of expressed breast milk or formula milk, and feed this before the full bottle feed. This is usually administered once a day.

If your baby is discharged before four weeks of age then your GP will be contacted to initiate the prescription.

If your infant has already started Sytron (an iron supplement) upon discharge, you will be provided with an initial supply. This should last for about one month. Once you are at home, your GP will continue to provide your ongoing prescription. You will need to contact your GP surgery for a repeat prescription.

Preterm infants who are born with a birth gestation between 34 to 37 weeks gestation should be given an iron supplementation from four weeks of life.

Infants who are born greater than 37 weeks gestation but are born less than 2.5kg and are going home whilst being exclusively breastfed should also be considered for iron supplementation.

Therefore when your baby is at home they will receive the following dose of iron:

• Sytron: An iron supplement.

1ml Sytron once a day from four weeks of age until 12 months corrected age if you are exclusively breastfeeding or giving only expressed breast milk via a bottle.

1ml Sytron once a day from four weeks of age until six months corrected age if you are giving your baby a combination of breastfeeds and formula or a term formula only.

If your baby has not started iron supplements before discharge, they should start this on: ______/______/______