Anemia
and Iron Status
Young children are at great risk of iron deficiency because of rapid
growth and increased iron requirements. Iron deficiency can occur due to
lack of iron in the diets. If this continues, anemia results. Anemia is a
manifestation of iron deficiency when it is relatively severe.
It is important to note that not all anemia is due to iron deficiency.
The primary causes of anemia include reduced red blood cell and hemoglobin
production, hemolysis of red blood cells, and loss of blood. Although an
inadequate dietary intake of several nutrients may reduce the production
of red blood cells and hemoglobin, the most common cause of anemia
throughout the world is iron deficiency.
Poverty, abuse, and living in a home with poor household conditions
also place children at risk for iron deficiency anemia. Iron deficiency
anemia is seen most commonly in children six months to three years of age.
Those at highest risk are low birth weight infants after two months of
age, breastfed term infants who receive no iron-fortified foods or
supplemental iron after four months of age, and formula fed term infants
who are not consuming iron-fortified formula.
Iron deficiency anemia significantly impairs mental and psychomotor
development in infants and children. Although iron deficiency can be
reversed with treatment, the reversibility of the mental and psychomotor
impairment is not yet clearly understood. Thus, prevention and treatment
need to be emphasized more than detection. In addition, iron deficiency
increases a childs susceptibility to lead toxicity. Lead replaces iron
in the absorptive pathway when iron is unavailable.
Recommendations
to Prevent and Control Iron Deficiency in the United States (PDF
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