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Updated: Oct 25, 2025
Author Spotlight: Developing a Point-of-Care Hemoglobin Estimation Method for Anemia Management
Published on: January 19, 2024
Determination of Hemoglobin Level Among 9-Month-Old Infants Visiting Well Child Clinic
Pongtong Puranitee1, Sajee Fuangfu1, Oraporn Dumrongwongsiri1
1Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine Ramamthibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Insights
Anemia affects 68.3% of 9-month-old infants. Breastfeeding is linked to lower hemoglobin levels, while infant formula feeding shows a protective effect against anemia.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Hematology
- Public Health
Background:
- Anemia screening is recommended for infants aged 9-12 months.
- Infant anemia poses significant health risks.
- Understanding prevalence and risk factors is crucial for early intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of anemia in 9-month-old infants.
- To identify factors associated with anemia in this age group.
- To compare anemia detection rates between different hemoglobin testing methods.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of Well Child Clinic records from January to December 2018.
- Hemoglobin (Hb) levels assessed using complete blood count (CBC) and point-of-care Hb (POC-Hb).
- Statistical analysis to determine prevalence and associated factors, including breastfeeding status.
Main Results:
- Anemia prevalence was 68.3% (99 out of 145 infants).
- POC-Hb testing showed a higher prevalence (72.8%) compared to CBC (33.3%).
- Breastfed infants had significantly lower mean Hb levels; infant formula feeding was associated with reduced odds of anemia (OR 0.37 [0.14-0.94]).
Conclusions:
- A high proportion of anemia exists among 9-month-old infants at Rama-WCC.
- Breastfeeding is associated with anemia in infants.
- Point-of-care Hb testing may overestimate anemia prevalence.
Abstract:
Screening for anemia is recommended among infants aged 9 to 12 months. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of anemia among 9-month-old infants at Well Child Clinic, and associated factors with anemia. Well Child record of all visits during January to December 2018 were reviewed. Hemoglobin (Hb) was determined by complete blood count (CBC) or point-of-care Hb (POC-Hb). Anemia was found in 99 from 145 infants (68.3%). The prevalence of anemia was 33.3% and 72.8% when tested by CBC and POC-Hb, respectively. Breastfed Infants had significantly lower mean Hb than formula-fed infants. The odd ratio [95% confident interval] of having anemia among infants who were fed with infant formula were 0.37 [0.14-0.94]; P = .038 when compared to breastfed infants. There was a high proportion of anemia among 9-month-old infants in Rama-WCC and breastfeeding was associated with anemia in infants. The use of POC-Hb may overestimate the prevalence of anemia.
