Evaluation of erythropoiesis by serum transferrin receptor and ferritin in infants aged 0-6 months.
The aim of this study was to evaluate erythropoiesis in 198 healthy babies aged 0-6 months by determination of their blood count, serum transferrin receptor (STfR), and ferritin levels. Anemia and microcytosis were present in 9% and 13% of the sample, respectively. Microcytosis rate was as high as 45% in 6-month-old babies. In infants with normal blood counts, the values of sTfR/ferritin and sTfR-F index were increasing with the increase of sTfR and decrease of ferritin beginning from 2 months of age. In the 5- to 6-month-old group, sTfR concentrations, sTfR/ferritin ratio, and sTfR-F index were higher in infants with anemia and microcytosis. This research showed a high frequency of iron deficiency detected in otherwise healthy babies. Only problems with early weaning practices were found to be significantly more common in babies with iron deficiency.
Ulukol
Betül
B
Ankara University School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Ankara, Turkey. ulukol@dialup.ankara.edu.tr
Tezcan
Sabahat
S
Akar
Nejat
N
Gökçe
Hafize
H
Cin
Sükrü
S
D000367:Age Factors; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000097:blood; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D004920:Erythropoiesis; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood*; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin / Q000097:blood*; D014421:Turkey
D011990:Receptors, Transferrin; D005293:Ferritins; D007501:Iron