Peds Hematology | Questions with 100% Verified Answers |
Latest Update 2026/2027
Question: What history is important when evaluating pediatric anemia?
Answer: Diet/nutritional deficiencies, growth and development, chronic medical conditions, and potential
sources of blood loss.
Question: Poor growth in a child with anemia should raise concern for what?
Answer: Chronic disease or hypothyroidism.
Question: Petechiae or purpura in a child with anemia should raise concern for what?
Answer: Leukemia, aplastic anemia, or hemolytic uremic syndrome.
Question: Jaundice in a child with anemia suggests what?
Answer: Hemolysis or liver disease.
Question: Generalized lymphadenopathy in a child with anemia should raise concern for what?
Answer: Leukemia, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, or HIV.
Question: Splenomegaly in a child with anemia should raise concern for what?
Answer: Leukemia, sickle cell syndromes, hereditary spherocytosis, or hypersplenism.
Question: What is physiologic anemia of infancy?
Answer: A normal decrease in hemoglobin caused by decreased erythropoiesis after birth due to increased
tissue oxygenation.
Question: When does physiologic anemia typically reach its nadir?
Answer: 6-9 weeks of age.
Question: What happens to hemoglobin during physiologic anemia?
Answer: Hgb decreases from about 14 g/dL at birth to approximately 10-11 g/dL at 6-9 weeks.
Question: Does physiologic anemia require treatment?
Answer: No; it is normal and does not require treatment.
Question: What suggests pathologic rather than physiologic anemia during the first month of life?
Answer: Hgb <13.5 g/dL within the first month.
Question: What hemoglobin level is lower than expected for physiologic anemia?
Answer: <9 g/dL.
Question: What findings suggest hemolysis in an anemic infant?
Answer: Jaundice and dark urine.
Question: What symptoms may indicate clinically significant anemia in an infant?
Answer: Irritability or poor feeding.
, Question: What are common pathologic causes of anemia from 0-3 months?
Answer: Blood loss, immune hemolytic disease from Rh/ABO incompatibility, and G6PD deficiency.
Question: Anemia between 3-6 months should make you think of what?
Answer: Pathology, particularly a hemoglobinopathy or hemolytic anemia.
Question: Is nutritional iron deficiency a likely cause of anemia before 6 months?
Answer: No; nutritional iron deficiency is unlikely before 6 months.
Question: When does iron deficiency become much more common in children?
Answer: From about 6 months through school age.
Question: When is routine anemia screening performed?
Answer: 9-12 months.
Question: Which infants are at particularly high risk for iron deficiency?
Answer: Breastfed infants without sufficient iron supplementation.
Question: Why should iron deficiency anemia in a school-age child prompt further investigation?
Answer: Iron deficiency is relatively infrequent at this age, so another cause or significant dietary issue should
be considered.
Question: Why are adolescents at increased risk for iron deficiency?
Answer: Growth and the onset of menarche, along with dietary risks.
Question: Newborn anemia flowchart: What is the first major question after confirming anemia?
Answer: Determine whether reticulocyte production is increased or decreased/normal to distinguish increased
RBC loss/destruction from inadequate RBC production.
Question: What does an elevated reticulocyte count generally suggest in anemia?
Answer: The bone marrow is responding appropriately, suggesting blood loss or hemolysis.
Question: What does a low or inappropriately normal reticulocyte count generally suggest in anemia?
Answer: Decreased RBC production.
Question: What is the major purpose of MCV in the pediatric anemia algorithm?
Answer: To classify anemia as microcytic, normocytic, or macrocytic and narrow the differential diagnosis.
Question: What are the three major MCV classifications of anemia?
Answer: Microcytic, normocytic, and macrocytic.
Question: What does a low MCV indicate?
Answer: Microcytic anemia.
Question: What does a normal MCV indicate?
Answer: Normocytic anemia.
Latest Update 2026/2027
Question: What history is important when evaluating pediatric anemia?
Answer: Diet/nutritional deficiencies, growth and development, chronic medical conditions, and potential
sources of blood loss.
Question: Poor growth in a child with anemia should raise concern for what?
Answer: Chronic disease or hypothyroidism.
Question: Petechiae or purpura in a child with anemia should raise concern for what?
Answer: Leukemia, aplastic anemia, or hemolytic uremic syndrome.
Question: Jaundice in a child with anemia suggests what?
Answer: Hemolysis or liver disease.
Question: Generalized lymphadenopathy in a child with anemia should raise concern for what?
Answer: Leukemia, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, or HIV.
Question: Splenomegaly in a child with anemia should raise concern for what?
Answer: Leukemia, sickle cell syndromes, hereditary spherocytosis, or hypersplenism.
Question: What is physiologic anemia of infancy?
Answer: A normal decrease in hemoglobin caused by decreased erythropoiesis after birth due to increased
tissue oxygenation.
Question: When does physiologic anemia typically reach its nadir?
Answer: 6-9 weeks of age.
Question: What happens to hemoglobin during physiologic anemia?
Answer: Hgb decreases from about 14 g/dL at birth to approximately 10-11 g/dL at 6-9 weeks.
Question: Does physiologic anemia require treatment?
Answer: No; it is normal and does not require treatment.
Question: What suggests pathologic rather than physiologic anemia during the first month of life?
Answer: Hgb <13.5 g/dL within the first month.
Question: What hemoglobin level is lower than expected for physiologic anemia?
Answer: <9 g/dL.
Question: What findings suggest hemolysis in an anemic infant?
Answer: Jaundice and dark urine.
Question: What symptoms may indicate clinically significant anemia in an infant?
Answer: Irritability or poor feeding.
, Question: What are common pathologic causes of anemia from 0-3 months?
Answer: Blood loss, immune hemolytic disease from Rh/ABO incompatibility, and G6PD deficiency.
Question: Anemia between 3-6 months should make you think of what?
Answer: Pathology, particularly a hemoglobinopathy or hemolytic anemia.
Question: Is nutritional iron deficiency a likely cause of anemia before 6 months?
Answer: No; nutritional iron deficiency is unlikely before 6 months.
Question: When does iron deficiency become much more common in children?
Answer: From about 6 months through school age.
Question: When is routine anemia screening performed?
Answer: 9-12 months.
Question: Which infants are at particularly high risk for iron deficiency?
Answer: Breastfed infants without sufficient iron supplementation.
Question: Why should iron deficiency anemia in a school-age child prompt further investigation?
Answer: Iron deficiency is relatively infrequent at this age, so another cause or significant dietary issue should
be considered.
Question: Why are adolescents at increased risk for iron deficiency?
Answer: Growth and the onset of menarche, along with dietary risks.
Question: Newborn anemia flowchart: What is the first major question after confirming anemia?
Answer: Determine whether reticulocyte production is increased or decreased/normal to distinguish increased
RBC loss/destruction from inadequate RBC production.
Question: What does an elevated reticulocyte count generally suggest in anemia?
Answer: The bone marrow is responding appropriately, suggesting blood loss or hemolysis.
Question: What does a low or inappropriately normal reticulocyte count generally suggest in anemia?
Answer: Decreased RBC production.
Question: What is the major purpose of MCV in the pediatric anemia algorithm?
Answer: To classify anemia as microcytic, normocytic, or macrocytic and narrow the differential diagnosis.
Question: What are the three major MCV classifications of anemia?
Answer: Microcytic, normocytic, and macrocytic.
Question: What does a low MCV indicate?
Answer: Microcytic anemia.
Question: What does a normal MCV indicate?
Answer: Normocytic anemia.
