Iron deficiency anemia from diagnosis to treatment in children

Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency worldwide and an important public health problem especially in developing countries. Since the most important indicator of iron deficieny is anemia, the terms "iron deficiency" and "iron deficiency anemia" are often used interchangeably. However, iron deficiency may develop in the absence of anemia and the tissues may be affected from this condition. The most common causes of iron deficiency in children include insufficient intake together with rapid growth, low birth weight and gastrointestinal losses related to excessive intake of cow's milk. If insufficient intake can be excluded and there is insufficient response to oral iron treatment in patients with iron deficiency especially in older children, blood loss should be considered as the underlying cause. The main principles in management of iron deficiency anemia include investigation and elimination of the cause leading to iron deficiency, replacement of deficiency, improvement of nutrition and education of the patient and family. In this article, the practical approaches in the diagnosis and treatment of iron deficiency and the experience of our center have been reviewed.