[Anemia and nutritional status of children in day-care centers in Guaxupé].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the nutritional status and the prevalence of iron deficiency anemia in children attending public day care centers in the city of Guaxupé (MG), Brazil.


METHODS
Children of both genders, from 6 to 72 months, registered in public day-care centers in the city of Guaxupé, were studied. Nutritional evaluation was conducted using the Z-score for height-to-age and weight-to-height relationships. Hemoglobin dosage, serum iron, total iron binding capacity and the transferrin saturation index were used for diagnosis of anemia.


RESULTS
Z score < - 2 was observed in 3.3% of the children for the height-to-age relationship and of 0.4% for the weight-to-height relationship. Prevalence of total iron deficiency anemia was of 16.1%. In the age span from 6 to 36 months it was of 44.6%. The entire sample showed 45% with low serum iron, 37.9% with high total iron binding capacity and 43.1% with a low transferrin saturation index.


CONCLUSIONS
Malnutrition was not considered to be a problem due to its low prevalence; however, an important prevalence of iron deficiency was observed. Iron deficiency anemia is more prevalent in children between 6 and 36 months confirming that this age span is more vulnerable. No association between iron deficiency anemia and the Z score of the studied anthropometry relationships was found.
Camillo
Carlos César
CC
Departamento de Pediatria, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, SP, e no Centro Universitário da Fundação Educacional de Guaxupé- UNIFEG, Minas Gerais, MG.
Amancio
Olga Maria Silverio
OM
Vitalle
Maria Sylvia de Souza
MS
Braga
Josefina Aparecida Pellegrini
JA
Juliano
Yara
Y
D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002656:Child Day Care Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D009752:Nutritional Status / Q000502:physiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014168:Transferrin / Q000032:analysis
D014168:Transferrin; D005293:Ferritins; D007501:Iron