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SUMMARY Twelve hundred and fifty-one pregnant women were contacted and their infants followed to age 5 years. Nine hundred and fifty-one (76 %) children completed the trial. Measurements were made ofbirthweight, length, head circumference, and triceps skinfold at 10 days, and of weight, height, head circumference, and triceps skinfold at 5 years. Throughout the entire period of the study half the families, selected at random, were supplied with milk tokens entitling the mother, while pregnant, and all children under age 5 years, to 1 pint of milk a day at half its current price. The tokens led to a small increase in milk purchases by the families and to a small increase in milk drunk by the children. However no effect was detected in any growth measurement either in the total group, or in a more 'vulnerable' group of children from the largest families.

SUMMARY Clinical and haematological findings at the nadir of the refractory, early anaemia of prematurity were compared in a study of 95 preterm infants. 53 Refractory anaemia in the early weeks of life is common after preterm delivery, but its significance is controversial. Although the anaemia is usually regarded as 'physiological' and benign because it is self-limiting, blood transfusion becomes essential in some infants, prompted by such symptoms and signs as dyspnoea and feeding difficulties, diminished activity, poor weight gain, and even apnoeic attacks. Transfusion has also been recommended when the Hb concentration falls below 6-7 g/dl (Gairdner et al., 1955;Seip and Halvorsen, 1956;O'Brien and Pearson, 1971;Davies et al., 1972;Stockman, 1975). However, in addition to the low Hb concentration, the high Hb-02 affinity of the preterm infant's blood (Delivoria-Papadopoulos et al., 1971;O'Brien and Pearson, 1971; Stockman et al., 1977)