A community-based case-control study to investigate the role of iron deficiency in the persistence of goiter.

OBJECTIVES: To find out the magnitude of iron deficiency anemia in the age group of 6-12 years and investigate the role of iron deficiency as a possible contributor to endemic goiter in school children in Ambala. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study was conducted as a subset of a cross-sectional study among 2700 children from 6 to 12 years of age to find out the prevalence of goiter. All the subjects who were found to be suffering from goiter in the cross-sectional study were enrolled in the case-control study as cases and were compared with age- and sex-matched controls (children without goiter) from the same cohort. The study was conducted from February 2011 to January 2012. RESULTS: Out of total, goiter was observed in 12.6% of the subjects. Urinary iodine excretion was found to be <100 µg/L in 57 (10.5%) children. Mean hemoglobin (Hb) level of the study population was 11.9 g/dL. It was noted that 71% of the goitrous children had anemia (Hb <12 g/dL) as compared to 63.7% of the control group. Serum ferritin (SF) was <15 ng/mL in 70% of the children. The mean ± standard deviation of SF in the goitrous and nongoitrous children was 19.65 ± 32.51 µg/L and 27.55 ± 21.07 µg/L, respectively (P = 0.012). CONCLUSION: The findings in the study suggest that iron deficiency anemia in children is contributing toward the persistence of goiter in the postiodization phase.

Iodine deficiency disorder in children aged 6-12 years of Ambala, Haryana.

We conducted this study to assess the prevalence of goitre among 2700 children (6-12 yr) of district Ambala in Haryana. Children were examined as per standards laid by National iodine deficiency disorder control programme (NIDDCP). Multi stage cluster sampling method was used. Urine and salt samples were also studied for iodine concentration. The overall prevalence of goitre in the studied subjects was 12.6%. The median urinary iodine excretion in the study sample was more than 100 ug/L Iodine content was found to be adequate in 88% of salt samples. We conclude that there was a high prevalence of goitre in young children despite iodine repletion. This calls for identification of factors to strengthen NIDDCP and the need to emphasize use of iodized salt in Haryana.