Chronic posthaemorrhagic anaemia

Chronic iron-deficiency anaemia from bleeding may be caused by colon cancer, gastric cancer, peptic ulcer, Meckel diverticulum, hiatal hernia with linear erosions, colonic vascular ectasia, colonic polyps, haemangioma, inflammatory bowel disease, tumours in the gastrointestinal tract or uterus, and chronic menorrhagia. Some infants with severe iron deficiency have chronic intestinal blood loss induced by exposure to cow's milk protein. Repeated phlebotomy for blood tests is a cause of anaemia of prematurity.