[Iron deficiency in infants and children]

A study of the incidence of iron deficiency and its risk factors was carried out in 90 hospitalized or outpatient children and infants, 4 to 48 months old. Iron deficiency (serum iron concentration less than 10 mumol/l) was found in 70% of them and microcytosis (mean corpuscular volume less than 70 fl) in 10%. A good correlation was observed between hemoglobin concentration or mean corpuscular volume, and serum iron or ferritin concentrations. When risk factors were studied, 20% of the children were found to have insufficient meat or vegetable intakes. Only 45% of 6 month-old and 20% of 1 year-old infants received iron fortified milk formulas. However no significant correlation was found between the nutritional factors and the hematological data. Anemia and microcytosis were significantly more frequent in children born from immigrant parents as compared with native children, but there was no difference between these two groups for isolated iron deficiency. These results indicate that there is a need for a better prevention of iron deficiency in French infants and young children; a larger use of iron fortified milk formula until the age of 12 months is to be recommended.