Deficiencias de hierro y de vitamina A y prevalencia de anemia en niños y niñas de 6 a 24 meses de edad en Chaco, Argentina / Iron and vitamin A deficiencies and prevalence of anemia in boys and girls between 6 to 24 months of age in Chaco, Argentina

ABSTRACT

To determine the prevalence of anemia, and iron (ID) and vitamin A deficiencies aiming at their prevention, 414 children between 6 and 24 months of age, were randomly selected from the whole province of Chaco. A sociodemographic survey was implemented, and hemoglobin (Hb), plasma ferritin and retinol were measured. Anemia prevalence (Hb < 110 g/L) was 66.4 per cent, without differences between age groups, and included 18 per cent with Hb < 90 g/L. These cases were significantly less in children 6-8 month of age (5.1 per cent) than in the others (approximately equal to 20 per cent) (P: 0.007). Mean Hb was also higher in 6-8 months old children and was associated with lower prevalence of ID (ferritin < 12 micrograms/L) (p < 0.000) but not with age (p = 0.8865). ID already present, however, in 36.6 per cent of children in this age group, reached a prevalence of 72.9 per cent in children older than 18 months. Anemia prevalence was significantly higher in males, in children whose birth weight was < 3000 g, in those who had never taken iron supplements and among the poor, both structural and by income. Retinol values < 20 micrograms/dl occurred only in 5.1 per cent of children. Iron nutrition prior to, during pregnancy and in children during the first 2 years of life must be improved by joining strategies based on community empowerment aimed at improving dietary iron, assuring effective preventive supplementation and promoting the opportune umbilical cord ligation.