title: [Iron and vitamin A deficiencies and prevalence of anemia in boys and girls between 6 to 24 months of age in Chaco, Argentina].
abstract: To determine the prevalence of anemia, and iron (ID) and vitamin A deficiencies aiming at their prevention, 414 children between 6 and 24 months of age, were randomly selected from the whole province of Chaco. A sociodemographic survey was implemented, and hemoglobin (Hb), plasma ferritin and retinol were measured. Anemia prevalence (Hb < 110 g/L) was 66.4%, without differences between age groups, and included 18% with Hb < 90 g/L. These cases were significantly less in children 6-8 month of age (5.1%) than in the others (approximately equal to 20%) (P: 0.007). Mean Hb was also higher in 6-8 months old children and was associated with lower prevalence of ID (ferritin < 12 micrograms/L) (p < 0.000) but not with age (p = 0.8865). ID already present, however, in 36.6% of children in this age group, reached a prevalence of 72.9% in children older than 18 months. Anemia prevalence was significantly higher in males, in children whose birth weight was < 3000 g, in those who had never taken iron supplements and among the poor, both structural and by income. Retinol values < 20 micrograms/dl occurred only in 5.1% of children. Iron nutrition prior to, during pregnancy and in children during the first 2 years of life must be improved by joining strategies based on community empowerment aimed at improving dietary iron, assuring effective preventive supplementation and promoting the opportune umbilical cord ligation.
authors.affiliation: Ministerio de Salud del Chaco, República Argentina.
authors.forename: María del Carmen
authors.initials: Mdel C
authors.lastname: Morasso
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Molero
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vinocur
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Acosta
authors.forename: Nilda
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Paccussi
authors.forename: Susana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Raselli
authors.forename: Graciela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Falivene
authors.forename: Fernando E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Viteri
mesh_terms: D000740:Anemia / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D001118:Argentina / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D000090463:Iron Deficiencies; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D005293:Ferritins