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
Arch. latinoam. nutr
; 53(1): 21-27, mar. 2003.
Article
in Es
| LILACS
| ID: lil-356592
Responsible library:
BR1.1
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.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
LILACS
Main subject:
Vitamin A Deficiency
/
Anemia, Iron-Deficiency
/
Iron
Type of study:
Prevalence_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
/
Screening_studies
Limits:
Female
/
Humans
/
Infant
/
Male
Country/Region as subject:
America do sul
/
Argentina
Language:
Es
Journal:
Arch. latinoam. nutr
Journal subject:
Bioqu¡mica
/
EducaÆo Alimentar e Nutricional
/
Fenmenos Fisiol¢gicos da NutriÆo
/
Microbiologia de Alimentos
/
NUTRICAO
Year:
2003
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Argentina
Country of publication:
Venezuela