Anaemia in infancy.

Anaemia in infancy is a very common clinical problem in the tropics and will continue to be common while infectious disease and poor nutrition prevail. In the diagnosis of anaemia in a child the clinician must expect a number of factors to be involved. On the basis of clinical features it is possible to arrive at a working diagnosis that provides a basis for treatment. Genetically determined abnormalities of haemoglobin, haemoglobin synthesis and red cell enzymes are common in the tropics. Though laboratory tests are required to confirm their presence these conditions can be suspected clinically and often managed without laboratory facilities.