05/07/2023, 19:34 Neonatal iron supplementation for preterm infants greater than 34 weeks gestation | CUH

Patient
Information

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:
______/______/______

https://www.cuh.nhs.uk/patient-information/neonatal-iron-supplementation-for-preterm-infants-greater-than-34-weeks-gestation/#:~:text=Preterm i… 1/2
05/07/2023, 19:34 Neonatal iron supplementation for preterm infants greater than 34 weeks gestation | CUH

Document details
25 Nov 2021
Approved
4
Version number
36978
Document ID
Neonatal services
Service / Department

We are smoke-free
Smoking is not allowed anywhere on the hospital campus. For advice and support in quitting, contact
your GP or the free NHS stop smoking helpline on 0800 169 0 169.

Other formats
Help accessing this information in other formats is available. To find out more about the services we
provide, please visit our patient information help page (see link below) or telephone 01223 256998.
www.cuh.nhs.uk/contact-us/accessible-information/

Contact us
Cambridge University Hospitals
NHS Foundation Trust
Hills Road, Cambridge
CB2 0QQ

Telephone +44 (0)1223 245151

https://www.cuh.nhs.uk/contact-us/contact-enquiries/

This document was correct at the time of printing - 05-07-2023 18:23

https://www.cuh.nhs.uk/patient-information/neonatal-iron-supplementation-for-preterm-infants-greater-than-34-weeks-gestation/#:~:text=Preterm i… 2/2