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[Hemoglobin level among infants in Akko sub-district]
Insights
Anemia is prevalent in non-Jewish infants in Akko, affecting over 30%. Socio-demographic factors like ethnicity and maternal education are linked to higher anemia rates, necessitating intervention programs for child development.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Hematology
Background:
- Infant anemia poses a significant public health challenge, impacting child development.
- Understanding the prevalence and risk factors for anemia is crucial for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of anemia in infants born in 1995 in the Akko sub-district.
- To investigate the association between infant anemia and socio-demographic variables.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 7920 infants born in 1995 in the Akko sub-district was studied.
- Hemoglobin levels were measured at 12 months of age; anemia was defined as <11 g/dl.
- Chi-square tests were used to analyze associations between anemia and socio-demographic factors in 5535 non-Jewish infants.
Main Results:
- Anemia prevalence was 30.8% among the studied infants.
- Anemia rates varied significantly by ethnicity (Arabs > Druze) and settlement type (highest in Bedouin settlements).
- Factors associated with higher anemia rates included larger family size and lower maternal education; no association with birth weight was found.
Conclusions:
- A high prevalence of anemia was observed in non-Jewish infants in the Akko sub-district.
- Socio-demographic factors play a significant role in infant anemia rates.
- Intervention programs are essential to reduce anemia and support optimal psychomotor development in affected children.
Objectives:
To determine the prevalence of anemia among infants born in 1995 within the Akko sub-district and to investigate the association between anemia and socio-demographic variables.
Subjects And Methods:
In 1995, 7920 children were born in the Akko sub-district. Recommendations for prophylactic doses of iron preparations were given to all the infants aged 4-12 months screened by the "Mother and Child" clinic's team. Procedures at the "Mother and Child" clinic require the clinic's nurses to perform a routine hemoglobin test for each child at the age of 12 months. Anemia was defined as a level of hemoglobin less than 11 g/dl. The chi-square test was used for statistical analyses.
Results:
A hemoglobin test was performed on 5703 infants. The finding showed that 30.8% of these infants had a hemoglobin level below 11 g/dl, 24% had a hemoglobin level between 10.0-10.9 g/dl, 6%--between 9.0-9.9 g/dl and less then 1% of the infants had a level of hemoglobin below 9.0 g/dl. Statistical analysis was performed on the results obtained from 5535 infants of non-Jewish origin. An association was found between the rate of anemia and ethnicity (Arabs more than Druze, p = 0.02) and between the rate of anemia and the type of settlement (p = 0.001). Arab settlements of higher socio-economic level showed a lower rate of anemia than those of low socio-economic level. The highest rate of anemia was found within Bedouin settlements. The number of children in the family was significantly associated with anemia rates (p = 0.0005), showing dose response effect. There was inverse correlation between maternal education and anemia rate (p = 0.001). No association was found between birth weight and anemia rates.
Conclusions:
A high rate of anemia was found among non-Jewish infants in the Akko sub-district. This finding indicates the necessity for an intervention program to reduce this high rate of anemia and its associated damage in order to facilitate the optimal psychomotor development of the children.