title: Iron and Zinc Status of 6-Month to 5-Year-Old Children From Low-Income Rural Families of Punjab, India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Iron and zinc are the 2 micronutrients that are deficient in the diet of the people of Third World countries.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Assessment of iron and zinc status of 6-month to 5-year-old children from low-income rural families of Punjab, India.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty clusters (villages) from 12 blocks of Ludhiana district of Punjab, India, were chosen randomly to select 413 households of agricultural laborers and of small and marginal farmers to obtain a sample of 312 children (6 months to 5 years).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Wheat is the major contributor of iron (65.5%) and zinc (58.0%) in the diets of children. The percentage of adequacy of iron in 0.5- to 2-year-old and 3- to 5-year-old children was 18.5% and 37.2% when compared to the estimated average requirements of World Health Organization/Food and Agriculture Organization. The corresponding zinc adequacy was only 7.2% and 25.3%, respectively. The results showed that 65% of 2- to 5-year-old children had dietary zinc adequacy. Serum zinc values below normal values were 17.9%, whereas 84.6% and 71.8% of children had low serum iron and serum ferritin levels, respectively. The raised soluble transferrin receptors were found in 79.8% of children. Anemia was found in 55.8% children, of which 20.2%, 33.0%, and 2.9% of children were mildly, moderately, and severely anemic, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Iron-deficiency anemia is a more serious problem among reference children, however, zinc deficiency also prevails. The suboptimal iron and zinc status pose a serious threat to the physical and mental growth of these children. Hence to curb these deficiencies necessary steps should be taken.
authors.affiliation: Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab, India kiranbains68@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Kiran
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bains
authors.affiliation: Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab, India.
authors.forename: Harpreet
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kaur
authors.affiliation: Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana, Punjab, India.
authors.forename: Navjot
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bajwa
authors.affiliation: Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab, India.
authors.forename: Gurpreet
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kaur
authors.affiliation: Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab, India.
authors.forename: Sherry
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kapoor
authors.affiliation: Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab, India.
authors.forename: Anupriya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Singh
mesh_terms: D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007223:Infant; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D015995:Prevalence; D012424:Rural Population; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015032:Zinc / Q000172:deficiency*
chemical_list: D015032:Zinc
keywords: Punjab; children; iron; zinc