title: Prevalence of Thalassemia Trait & Iron Deficiency Anemia during Infancy in 2011-2013 in a Thalassemia Prevalent Region: North Cyprus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA) is an important health problem all around the world especially in developing countries. In the Mediterranean countries another prevelant reason of anemia is Thalassemia. Certain strategies had been established as a government policy to reduce prevalence in North Cyprus, such as pre-marital screening of Thalassemia. The prevalence of thalassemia trait has not been evaluated since then. The aim of this study was to detect the prevalence of IDA, thalassemia trait in infants under regular follow-up and to evaluate the compliance to prophylactic iron supplementation (PIS) and its effect on IDA.
  
  
  METHODS
  Healthy children admitted to Department of Pediatrics, Near East University Hospital, in 2011-2013 were included. Data of anthropometric measurements, parental thalassemia trait status, duration of PIS usage, complete blood count, ferritin levels and hemoglobin electrophoresis were collected from hospital database program. Anemic children were grouped as IDA, thalassemia trait, both IDA and thalassemia trait and others.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eıghty-nine infants with a mean age 13.52±2.09 mo were included. Compliance with PIS recommendation was 85.3% and, the mean duration of iron usage was 6.44±3.18 mo. IDA and thalassemia trait were found to be 11.2% and 4.5% respectively, while 3.4% of the infants had both IDA and thalassemia trait.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prevalence of thalassemia trait was 7.9% demonstrating approximately a 50% decline within 5 decades. This result confirms the success of premarital screening policy in North Cyprus. In addition, prevalence of IDA was relatively low being 14.6% supporting the beneficial effect of PIS on prevention of IDA.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Near East University, Nicosia, Cyprus.
authors.forename: Burçin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Şanlidağ
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Near East University, Nicosia, Cyprus.
authors.forename: Buse
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Çağin
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Near East University, Nicosia, Cyprus.
authors.forename: Övgü
authors.initials: Ö
authors.lastname: Özenli
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Near East University, Nicosia, Cyprus.
authors.forename: Özlem
authors.initials: Ö
authors.lastname: Şahaloğlu
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Near East University, Nicosia, Cyprus.
authors.forename: Ceyhun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dalkan
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Near East University, Nicosia, Cyprus.
authors.forename: Nilüfer
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Galip
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Near East University, Nicosia, Cyprus.
authors.forename: Arzu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Babayiğit Hocaoğlu
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Near East University, Nicosia, Cyprus.
authors.forename: Nerin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bahçeciler
keywords: Anemia; Infant; Iron deficiency; Thalassemia trait