Incidence of iron-deficiency anaemia and depleted iron stores among nine-month-old infants in Vancouver, Canada.
The iron status and feeding practices of 434 infants in Vancouver were determined at 39 +/- 1 week of age. Iron-deficiency anaemia (haemoglobin < or = 101 g/L, or < or = 110 g/L with two or three abnormal results from tests of serum ferritin, zinc erythrocyte protoporphyrin and total iron binding capacity) occurred in 7% of infants. Low iron stores (serum ferritin < 10 micrograms/l) occurred in about 24% of infants. Iron-deficiency anaemia was significantly associated (p < 0.001) with duration of breastfeeding. The prevalence of iron-deficiency anaemia among infants breastfed for 8 months was 15%. At 39 weeks (9 months) of age, about 5% and 13% of the infants were bottle-fed with cows milk or low iron infant formula, respectively, and this was also significantly associated (p < 0.02) with low iron stores. Iron-fortified infant cereals had been introduced to 95% of the infants by six months of age. This study shows iron-deficiency anaemia is a problem among a significant number of nine-month-old infants in Canada, and is not explained by failure to introduce iron-fortified infant cereals.
Innis
S M
SM
Department of Paediatrics, University of British Columbia. sinnis@wpog.childhosp.bc.ca
Nelson
C M
CM
Wadsworth
L D
LD
MacLaren
I A
IA
Lwanga
D
D
D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood; D008019:Life Style; D008403:Mass Screening; D015995:Prevalence
D007501:Iron