Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 24, 2026
Measurement of Tissue Non-Heme Iron Content using a Bathophenanthroline-Based Colorimetric Assay
Published on: January 31, 2022
Iron status in a group of Norwegian children aged 6-24 months
G Hay1, B Sandstad, A Whitelaw
1Institute for Nutrition Research, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. hay@waytogo.no
Insights
Mild iron deficiency anemia is present in Norwegian infants and toddlers. Early detection and intervention are crucial for child health services to prioritize iron deficiency prevention and treatment.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Hematology
- Public Health
Background:
- Adequate iron status is crucial for infant and early childhood health and development.
- Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is a significant global health concern in young children.
- Longitudinal data on iron status in Norwegian infants are essential for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the iron status in a cohort of full-term Norwegian children at 6, 12, and 24 months of age.
- To determine the prevalence of iron deficiency anemia using different diagnostic criteria.
- To assess the impact of recent fever on iron store measurements.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study of 278 infants at 6 months, 249 at 12 months, and 231 at 24 months.
- Iron status assessed via hemoglobin (Hb), mean cell volume (MCV), and serum ferritin levels.
- Iron deficiency anemia defined using established criteria (Hb and ferritin levels).
Main Results:
- Prevalence of IDA ranged from 3% at 6 months to 12% at 24 months using standard criteria.
- More restrictive IDA criteria showed a prevalence of 1-5%.
- Excluding children with recent fever increased the prevalence of depleted iron stores (ferritin <10 microg/l) significantly with age.
Conclusions:
- Mild iron deficiency anemia is prevalent in otherwise healthy Norwegian infants and toddlers.
- Iron deficiency prevention and early treatment are a priority for child health services.
- Further research into factors influencing iron status, such as subclinical infections, is warranted.
Unlabelled:
An adequate iron status is of vital importance for health and development in infancy and early childhood. Iron status was evaluated in a group of full-term Norwegian children followed longitudinally, at the ages of 6 mo (n = 278), 12 mo (n = 249) and 24 mo (n = 231) by measuring haemoglobin (Hb), mean cell volume (MCV) and serum ferritin. At 6, 12 and 24 mo of age, 3, 10 and 12%, respectively, had iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) defined as Hb <110 g/l in combination with ferritin <15 microg/l. With more restrictive criteria for defining IDA (Hb <110 g/l or <105 g/l in combination with ferritin <12 microg/l), the prevalence decreased to 1-2% at 6 mo and 2-5% at 12 and 24 mo of age. If children with a history of fever in the previous month were excluded, the proportion of children with depleted iron stores (ferritin <10 microg/l) increased from 2 to 3% at 6 mo, from 5 to 7% at 12 mo and from 9 to 13% at 24 mo.
Conclusion:
Mild iron deficiency anaemia exists among otherwise healthy Norwegian infants and toddlers. The prevention and early treatment of iron deficiency should be a priority for the child health services.
