MACROCYTIC, NON‐MEGALOBLASTIC, FOLIC‐ACID‐RESPONSIVE ANÆMIAS OF CHILDHOOD

Summary The clinical and hæmatological features of six children who presented with a “refractory” macrocytic type of anæmia are described. The anæmia was not associated with megaloblastosis. Furthermore, in the group as a whole the condition clinically differed from the commonly‐recognized syndrome of nutritional megaloblastic anæmia of childhood. That this anæmia was due to lack of folic acid was proved through a clinical trial in one case, though in the others the evidence of folic‐acid deficiency was circumstantial. It is suggested that marginal intake of folic acid through defective diet contributed to the development of anæmia in all cases.