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Prevalence of anemia among Lebanese hospitalized children: Risk and protective factors
Ali Salami1, Hisham F Bahmad2, Ghassan Ghssein3
1Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Sciences (V), Lebanese University, Nabatieh, Lebanon.
Insights
Anemia is highly prevalent in Lebanese children, particularly infants. Malnutrition increases anemia risk, while iron supplementation significantly reduces it, highlighting the need for nutritional interventions.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Hematology
- Public Health
Background:
- Anemia poses significant global health challenges, with substantial short- and long-term consequences, especially in pediatric populations.
- The specific incidence and risk factors for anemia in Lebanese children remain under-researched.
- This study addresses the need for localized data on childhood anemia in Lebanon.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the demographic characteristics of anemia in hospitalized children in South Lebanon.
- To identify key factors associated with increased or decreased risk of anemia in this pediatric cohort.
- To provide evidence-based recommendations for anemia prevention and management.
Main Methods:
- A 4-month cross-sectional study conducted from August to November 2017.
- Inclusion of 295 hospitalized children aged 1 month to 12 years in South Lebanon.
- Analysis of demographic data, feeding practices, iron supplementation, and disease diagnosis against hematological parameters.
Main Results:
- High prevalence of mild (71.8%) and moderate (25.4%) anemia observed; severe anemia was rare.
- Malnourished children exhibited a 3.4-fold increased risk of anemia compared to well-nourished children.
- Iron supplementation was associated with a significant 42% reduction in anemia risk.
Conclusions:
- Anemia is a widespread issue among Lebanese children, particularly in infancy.
- Preventive strategies focusing on optimal nutrition and iron supplementation are crucial.
- Public health initiatives should prioritize these measures for effective anemia control in children.
Background:
Anemia is a global health problem associated with short- and long-term consequences especially in children. The incidence of anemia along with the factors associated with its increased or decreased risk is not yet well studied in Lebanon. Our study aims at determining the demographics of this health burden and identifying some of the important factors linked to it among the pediatric population.
Methods:
A 4-months cross-sectional study was performed between August and November 2017 including 295 children aged 1 month to 12 years, who were hospitalized in a tertiary care hospital located in South Lebanon. We analyzed the different demographic data, age, gender, breast feeding duration, solid food introduction, iron supplementation and disease of diagnosis in association with multiple hematological parameters.
Results:
The prevalence of both mild and moderate anemia was 71.8 and 25.4%, with only 2 cases of severe anemia encountered among children aged 6 months or above. Results showed that the risk of anemia increases by around 3.4 folds among malnourished children than in well-nourished children. This risk also decreased by almost 42% in children receiving iron supplement.
Conclusion:
In consideration to the fact that anemia is a prevalent disease in the Lebanese childhood population, especially in infancy, simple preventive measures such as proper nutritional habits and supplementation of iron rich food to children are highly recommended and should be respected by public health providers.
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