Baseline Iron Status Of Apparently Healthy Children In Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Year 2007, Volume: 4 Issue: 4, 161 - 164, 01.12.2007

Charles Adias P O Box

Abstract

-

Keywords

-

Baseline Iron Status Of Apparently Healthy Children In Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Abstract

Aim: Iron deficiency is one of the micronutrient disorder affecting mostly children in the developing countries. There is paucity of information on this subject in our locality.Aim: This study was aimed at assessing the baseline iron status of apparently healthy children aged 1-8 years in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, Nigeria. Methods: Four biochemical iron indicators; serum iron (SI), total iron binding capacity (TIBC), transferrin saturation (TS) and serum ferritin(SF), were used for the assessment. Standard colorimetric and Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) procedures were followed for the estimation of all variables. Results: The mean values of the parameters estimated were serum iron, 19.8 + 21.8 umol/l; TIBC, 62.9 + 46.0 umol/l, transferrin saturation, 29.2 + 18.5 %, serum ferritin, 50.6 + 62.3 nglml The mean values of all the parameters estimated in the under fives were found to be significantly lower than the values obtained in the five to 8 years group (P < 0.01). Similarly a sex related difference in the mean values was obtained in all variables except transferrin saturation. The prevalence of iron deficiency among the participants by single ferritin (

Keywords

Iron deficiency, prevalence, ferritin, transferrin, Port Harcourt, Nigeria

References

• Bodt DH. New perspectives on iron: an introduction Am J Med Sci 1999;318: 207-12
• WHO (2001). Iron deficiency ancmia: assessment, prevention and control. A guide for programme manager. (UNICEF, UNU, WHO) pp 3
• Adamson J. The relationship of erythropoietin and iron metabolism to red blood cell production in humans. Semin Oncol 1994;21:9-15
• De Maeyer E, Adiels–Tegman M. The Prevalence of anaemia in the world. World Health Statistical Quarterly 1985: 38:302-16 5. Oppenheimer SJ, Iron–Deficiency
• anemia: Re-examining the nature and
• magnitude of the public Health problem
• J Nutr 2001;131:616S–35S
• Oski F. iron deficiency in infancy and childhood N Engl J Med 1993;329:190-3
• Stoltzfus R. Defining iron – Deficiency anaemia in public health terms: a time for reflection. J Nutr 2001;131:565S-7S
• Van den Broek N. Anaemia and micronutrient deficiencies. Brit Med Bull 2003;67:149-60
• National strategies for prevention and control of micronutrient malnutrition. Geneva, World Health Organization, 1992 (WHA 45/1992/REC/1)
• Stoltzfus RJ, Chwaya HM, Tielsch JM, Schulze KJ, Albonico M, Savioli L. anaemia in Zanzibari school Children; the importance of hookworms. Am J Clin Nutr 1997;65:153-9
• Leenstra T, Kariuki SK, Kurtis JD, Oloo AJ, Kager PA, ter Kuile FO. Prevalence and severity of anemia and iron deficiency. Cross – sectional studies in adolescent school girls in western Kenya. Eur J Clin Nutr 2004;58:681-91
• Hashizume M, kunii O, Sasaki S et al. Anemia and iron deficiency among school children in the aral sea region, Kazakhstan. J Trop Pediatr 2003;49:172-7
• Walter T. Effect of Iron deficiency anaemia on cognitive skills in infancy and childhood. Baillieres Clin Haematol 1994;7:815-27
• Walter T, Andraca I, Chadud P, Perales CG. Iron deficiency anaemia: adverse effects on infants psychomotor Development. Pediatrics 1989;84:7-17
• Idjradinata P, Pollitt E. Reversal of developmental delays in iron –deficient anaemic infants treated with iron. Lancet 1993;341:1-4
• Lozaff B. Behavioral alterations in iron deficiency Adv Pediatr 1988;35:331-59