Anemia in children: prevalence, causes, diagnostic work-up, and long-term consequences
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Published on: January 19, 2024
Slimane Allali1, Valentine Brousse1, Anne-Sylvia Sacri1
1a Department of General Pediatrics and Pediatric Infectious Diseases , Hôpital Necker-Enfants malades , Paris , France.
Insights
Childhood anemia is a global health issue, often caused by iron deficiency. Its diverse consequences, impacting growth and development, require thorough investigation and should not be underestimated.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Hematology
Background:
- Childhood anemia represents a significant global public health concern.
- Iron deficiency is the predominant cause, though anemia is frequently multifactorial.
- The full impact of anemia on child health is often underestimated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the primary causes of anemia in children.
- To focus on the potential acute and chronic consequences of childhood anemia.
- To emphasize the importance of not trivializing anemia in pediatric populations.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of anemia causes in children.
- Analysis of potential consequences of acute and chronic anemia.
- Expert commentary on clinical significance and research gaps.
Main Results:
- Iron deficiency is the most common cause, but other serious etiologies must be considered.
- Assessing anemia's precise contribution to mortality and morbidity is challenging due to comorbidities.
- Chronic anemia can negatively affect growth, cardiac function, and cognitive development in infants.
Conclusions:
- Childhood anemia warrants serious clinical attention, irrespective of the cause.
- Further research is needed to fully understand and describe the consequences of childhood anemia.
- Prompt diagnosis and management are crucial for mitigating long-term effects.
Introduction:
Anemia in children is a major public health problem throughout the world. It is often multifactorial, iron deficiency being the most frequent etiology. Consequences are diverse and largely under evaluated. Areas covered: This paper briefly reviews the main causes and focus on the potential consequences of acute and chronic anemia in children. Expert commentary: Anemia in children should never be trivialized. Even if iron deficiency is frequently involved, other potentially life-threatening causes are possible and should be looked for. The exact contribution of anemia to child mortality and morbidity is difficult to assess because of overlapping comorbidities. Chronic anemia may impair growth, cardiac function and cognitive development in infants but other consequences are rather poorly described and should be explored more thoroughly.
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