BACKGROUND: Iron deficiency (ID) can occur among exclusively breastfed infants before 6 mo of age. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to determine which subgroups of fully breastfed infants are at highest risk of ID. DESIGN: We assessed the prevalence of ID (ferritin < 12 mug/L) and iron deficiency anemia (IDA; ferritin < 12 mug/L and hemoglobin < 105 g/L) and risk factors associated with ID and IDA at 6 mo among 404 fully breastfed infants with a birth weight >2500 g from 6 studies in Ghana, Honduras, Mexico, and Sweden. Infants with an elevated C-reactive protein concentration (8%) were excluded. RESULTS: The percentages of infants with ID were 6% in Sweden, 17% in Mexico, 13-25% in Honduras, and 12-37% in Ghana. The percentages with IDA were 2% in Sweden, 4% in Mexico, 5-11% in Honduras, and 8-16% in Ghana. With data pooled, the key predictors of ID (20%) were male sex [adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 4.6; 95% CI: 2.5, 8.5] and birth weight 2500-2999 g (AOR: 2.4; 95% CI: 1.4, 4.3). The predictors of IDA (8%) were male sex (AOR: 7.6; 95% CI: 2.5, 23.0), birth weight of 2500-2999 g (AOR: 3.4; 1.5, 7.5), and weight gain above the median since birth (AOR: 3.4; 95% CI: 1.3, 8.6). The combination of birth weight 2500-2999 g or male sex had a sensitivity of 91% for identifying ID and of 97% for identifying IDA. CONCLUSIONS: Among fully breastfed infants with a birth weight >2500 g, IDA is uncommon before 6 mo, but male infants and those with a birth weight of 2500-2999 g are at higher risk of ID and IDA.
BACKGROUND:Iron deficiency (ID) can occur among exclusively breastfed infants before 6 mo of age. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to determine which subgroups of fully breastfed infants are at highest risk of ID. DESIGN: We assessed the prevalence of ID (ferritin < 12 mug/L) and iron deficiency anemia (IDA; ferritin < 12 mug/L and hemoglobin < 105 g/L) and risk factors associated with ID and IDA at 6 mo among 404 fully breastfed infants with a birth weight >2500 g from 6 studies in Ghana, Honduras, Mexico, and Sweden. Infants with an elevated C-reactive protein concentration (8%) were excluded. RESULTS: The percentages of infants with ID were 6% in Sweden, 17% in Mexico, 13-25% in Honduras, and 12-37% in Ghana. The percentages with IDA were 2% in Sweden, 4% in Mexico, 5-11% in Honduras, and 8-16% in Ghana. With data pooled, the key predictors of ID (20%) were male sex [adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 4.6; 95% CI: 2.5, 8.5] and birth weight 2500-2999 g (AOR: 2.4; 95% CI: 1.4, 4.3). The predictors of IDA (8%) were male sex (AOR: 7.6; 95% CI: 2.5, 23.0), birth weight of 2500-2999 g (AOR: 3.4; 1.5, 7.5), and weight gain above the median since birth (AOR: 3.4; 95% CI: 1.3, 8.6). The combination of birth weight 2500-2999 g or male sex had a sensitivity of 91% for identifying ID and of 97% for identifying IDA. CONCLUSIONS: Among fully breastfed infants with a birth weight >2500 g, IDA is uncommon before 6 mo, but male infants and those with a birth weight of 2500-2999 g are at higher risk of ID and IDA.
Authors: Maria Hermoso; Garden Tabacchi; Iris Iglesia-Altaba; Silvia Bel-Serrat; Luis A Moreno-Aznar; Yurena García-Santos; Ma del Rosario García-Luzardo; Beatriz Santana-Salguero; Luis Peña-Quintana; Lluis Serra-Majem; Victoria Hall Moran; Fiona Dykes; Tamás Decsi; Vassiliki Benetou; Maria Plada; Antonia Trichopoulou; Monique M Raats; Esmée L Doets; Cristiana Berti; Irene Cetin; Berthold Koletzko Journal: Matern Child Nutr Date: 2010-10 Impact factor: 3.092
Authors: Elizabeth M Widen; Margaret E Bentley; Dumbani Kayira; Charles S Chasela; Eric J Daza; Zebrone K Kacheche; Gerald Tegha; Denise J Jamieson; Athena P Kourtis; Charles M van der Horst; Lindsay H Allen; Setareh Shahab-Ferdows; Linda S Adair Journal: J Nutr Date: 2013-12-31 Impact factor: 4.798
Authors: Amos K Laar; Fredrick E Grant; Yaw Addo; Ireneous Soyiri; Bright Nkansah; James Abugri; Alexander S Laar; William K Ampofo; Juliette M Tuakli; Isabella A Quakyi Journal: BMC Res Notes Date: 2013-09-03