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Tea drinking and microcytic anemia in infants
Insights
Tea consumption in infants significantly increases the risk of developing microcytic anemia. This study found higher rates of anemia and lower hemoglobin levels in tea-drinking infants, advising against its use.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Hematology
- Nutrition
Background:
- Anemia and microcytosis are prevalent in infants.
- Iron deficiency is a common cause of microcytic anemia in this age group.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between tea consumption and microcytic anemia in infants.
- To determine if tea drinking impacts key hematological parameters in infants.
Main Methods:
- A study of 122 healthy infants aged 6-12 months.
- Routine blood counts were performed to assess hemoglobin and mean corpuscular volume.
- Tea consumption habits were recorded and compared between groups.
Main Results:
- 48.4% of infants had anemia, 21.3% had microcytosis, and 19% had microcytic anemia.
- Tea-drinking infants showed a significantly higher incidence of microcytic anemia (32.6% vs 3.5%).
- Tea drinkers had lower mean hemoglobin and mean corpuscular volume levels compared to non-drinkers.
Conclusions:
- Tea consumption is linked to a higher risk of microcytic anemia in infants.
- Giving tea to infants, especially when iron sources are limited, is not recommended.
- Further research may explore the mechanisms behind tea's effect on iron absorption in infants.
Abstract:
To evaluate the effect of tea drinking on the occurrence of microcytic anemia in infants, we studied 122 healthy infants who underwent routine blood counts at the age of 6-12 months. An overall high frequency of anemia (Hb less than 11 gm/dl-48.4%), microcytosis (MCV less than 70 Mm3-21.3%) and microcytic anemia (19%) was found in the whole group. The percentage of tea drinking infants with microcytic anemia (32.6%) was significantly higher than that of the non-tea drinkers (3.5%). The daily amount of tea drinking was 50-750 ml (median 250 ml). The tea drinkers had significantly lower mean levels of hemoglobin than that of the non-tea drinkers (10.5 +/- 1.2 gm/dl vs 11.2 +/- 0.8 gm/dl, respectively) and significantly lower mean levels of mean corpuscular volume than that of the non-tea drinkers (71.5 +/- 7.1 micron 3 vs 76.1 +/- 4.6 micron 3). There were no significant differences between the two groups in their sex distribution and in the duration of breast feeding. The two groups differed with regard to their ages and social class but a multivariate analysis had excluded the possible confounding effect of these differences on the hematological results. Based on our finding we do not recommend giving tea to infants whose main source of iron is from milk, grains, vegetables or medicinal sources.