Analysis of 249 Cases With Nutritional and Iron Deficiency Anemia.

Objective To discuss the incidence of the different-month-old infants and young children with nutritional iron deficiency anemia and its related factors. Methods From January 1, 2004 to December 31, 2006, 1 254 children whose ages were 1~6 months(group A, n=540), 6~12 months(group B, n=360), 12~18 months (group C, n=354) did regulation health convalescence in the Child Health Care Clinic of Zhengzhou Maternal and Child Health Hospital by the rate of 4∶2∶1 process. Informed consent was obtained from all patients. The condition of breast-feeding, food supplement and nutritional iron deficiency anemia were investigated. The hemoglobin (Hb) level was tested by the hemiglobin-cyanide measurement method which was recommended by the World Health Organization(WHO). Meanwhile, the information of health care during gestation was followed up and analyzed. Results The total rate of infants nutritional iron deficiency anemia was 19.86%( 249/1 254), among which the incidence rates of group A, group B, and group C were 26.11% (141/540), 19.17% (69/360) and 11.02% (39/354), respectively. The single-factor analysis showed that there was a lower rate of nutritional iron deficiency anemia in the breast-fed infants (22.46%, 93/414) than non-breast-fed infants (38.10%, 48/126) in group A (P<0.05), and the gestational age and birth weight were related to nutritional iron deficiency anemia of infants. The rates of nutritional iron deficiency anemia of timely and late subsidiary food-fed were 16.50% and 40.00% in group A, respectively, which differed greatly (P<0.01). The information of health care during gestation showed that a total of 78 cases (31.5%) had iron deficiency anemia during late pregnancy. Conclusion The important factors causing nutritional iron deficiency anemia of infants are the irrational diet structure of infants and nutritional iron deficiency anemia in the late pregnancy of mothers. To enhance the prenatal health care, decrease the rate of infants with low birth weight, advocate breast-feeding during the infant period, as well as to add supplementary food timely and properly, the infants aged 4~6 months old are the powerful period for decreasing the prevalence of infant nutritional iron deficiency anemia. Key words: nutritional iron deficiency anemia; feeding patterns; supplementary food addition