title: Iron-deficiency anaemia in young children requiring dental extractions under general anaesthesia.
abstract: The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of iron-deficiency anaemia in children less than 6 years of age who attended for outpatient general anaesthesia for dental extractions. Pre- or peri-operative capillary blood samples were taken from 109 children (70 white Caucasian and 39 ethnic-minority children). The haemoglobin concentration (Hb), mean cell volume (MCV) and red cell porphyrin (RCP) value were determined for each subject. 19% of the children were found to be anaemic (Hb < 11 g/dl) and there was no statistically significant difference for mean Hb or prevalence of anaemia between white Caucasian and ethnic-minority children. A significantly greater proportion of the ethnic-minority children were iron deficient, as indicated by low MCV and high RCP. There were no statistically significant differences between anaemic and non-anaemic subjects with regard to sex or social class, but a significantly greater mean number of extractions were performed in the anaemic children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Dental Health, University of Sheffield, England.
authors.forename: H D
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Rodd
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Blankenstein
mesh_terms: D000553:Ambulatory Care; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000766:Anesthesia, Dental; D000768:Anesthesia, General; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017742:Dental Care for Chronically Ill; D004739:England; D004909:Erythrocyte Indices; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008913:Minority Groups; D011166:Porphyrins / Q000097:blood; D012737:Sex Factors; D012923:Social Class; D014081:Tooth Extraction; D044465:White People
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D011166:Porphyrins