Iron deficiency in international adoptees from Eastern Europe.
OBJECTIVE
To assess iron deficiency (ID) in international adoptees after adoption.


METHODS
Participants (n = 37) were adopted into the United States from Eastern Europe before they were 24 months of age. Baseline (within 1 month post-adoption) and follow-up (6 months post-adoption) assessments included routine post-adoption clinical evaluations, anthropometrics, dietary intakes, and iron measures (hemogram and serum analysis).


RESULTS
At adoption and follow-up, mean percent transferrin saturation and mean corpucuscular volume were low compared with the US population. Mean serum ferritin concentration became lower than the US population at follow-up, although the mean daily iron intake was more than the Recommended Dietary Allowance. Participants with Giardia lamblia at baseline had more compromised iron status at baseline and follow-up. Growth rate (change in z-score/months between assessments) was negatively correlated with change in serum ferritin concentrations between baseline and follow-up (r = -0.34; P < .05).


CONCLUSIONS
International adoptees had compromised iron status, with ID more prevalent in participants with G lamblia, a parasite that may interfere with iron absorption. The persistent ID at follow-up was likely caused by the erythropoietic demands of catch-up growth.
Department of Pediatrics, Institute of Child Development, International Adoption Program, Center for Neurobehavioral Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
Anita J
AJ
Fuglestad
Ashton E
AE
Lehmann
Maria G
MG
Kroupina
Anna
A
Petryk
Bradley S
BS
Miller
Sandra L
SL
Iverson
Dana E
DE
Johnson
Michael K
MK
Georgieff
D000300:Adoption / Q000208:ethnology*; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000818:Animals; D015984:Causality; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015897:Comorbidity; D004909:Erythrocyte Indices; D005061:Europe, Eastern / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D016829:Giardia lamblia; D005873:Giardiasis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood; D000090463:Iron Deficiencies; D019266:Iron, Dietary; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D015995:Prevalence; D014168:Transferrin / Q000378:metabolism; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
D019266:Iron, Dietary; D014168:Transferrin; D005293:Ferritins; D007501:Iron