title: Iron, folate and vitamin B12 nutrition and anaemia in black preschool children in the northern Transvaal.
abstract: The prevalence of anaemia and deficiencies of iron, folate and vitamin B12 were investigated in 140 rural black preschool children aged 3-5 years living in five different villages in the Letaba area, near Tzaneen. Anaemia was highly prevalent, 39.2% of the children having haemoglobin levels below 11.1 g/dl. Approximately 10% were considered to be iron-deficient. On the basis of subnormal red cell folate values, 1 in 4 children was folate-deficient, suggesting the need for intervention at the community level such as enrichment of the staple foodstuff, maize meal, with folic acid.
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American; D000747:Anemia, Hypochromic / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology; D044383:Black People; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood*; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D005494:Folic Acid Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D000090463:Iron Deficiencies; D008297:Male; D012424:Rural Population; D013019:South Africa; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000097:blood*; D014806:Vitamin B 12 Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D005293:Ferritins; D005492:Folic Acid; D014805:Vitamin B 12