Whether detected on a routine blood count during well-child care delivery or incidentally during the evaluation for an acute illness, anemia is encountered frequently in the primary care setting. Although the diagnosis of iron defi ciency is commonplace, the prospect of a red cell membrane disorder, metabolic dysfunction, or hemoglobinopathy must not be dismissed. Indeed, sickle cell disease represents one of the most common genetic disorders encountered in pediatrics and requires that the provider be knowledgeable, if only to help serve as a resource to parents and the local medical community.

In the past few decades, great strides have been made in understanding the biomolecular basis for several of the causes of childhood anemia. With a team approach, diseases once thought to be devastating are now managed with excellent long-term life expectancies. New therapeutic agents that stimulate the production of fetal globin are helping to ameliorate the more severe complications of sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia.

This issue of Pediatric Annals offers a comprehensive review of childhood anemia and provides an excellent opportunity for the participant to sharpen diagnostic and therapeutic skills in this area. After completing this issue, the provider will be positioned to serve not only as a source of education to their patients but also as a member of the care team necessary to maximize the positive outcome for each patient.