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Anemia among Druze children in the Golan Heights
Insights
Iron deficiency is the primary cause of anemia in Druze children, affecting 19% of those studied. Folate deficiency was not observed, and certain iron indicators were more reliable than serum ferritin for diagnosis.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Hematology
- Nutritional Deficiencies
Background:
- Anemia is a significant public health concern in children.
- Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is the most common type globally.
- Understanding regional prevalence and etiological factors is crucial for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence and causes of anemia in Druze children.
- To evaluate the diagnostic utility of various laboratory parameters for IDA.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study of 294 Druze children (10 months to 6 years).
- Hemoglobin levels assessed to identify anemia (Hb < 11.0 g/dl).
- Laboratory tests including folate, iron studies (serum iron, TIBC, transferrin saturation, ferritin), and red blood cell indices were performed.
Main Results:
- Anemia prevalence was 19%; no cases of folate deficiency were found.
- Iron deficiency was the cause of anemia in all but two children.
- Hemoglobin correlated strongly with mean corpuscular volume, erythrocyte protoporphyrin, serum iron, transferrin saturation, total-iron-binding capacity, and serum ferritin.
- Mean corpuscular hemoglobin and transferrin saturation showed >90% abnormality in anemic children.
- Serum ferritin and total-iron-binding capacity were abnormal in only 70% of anemic children.
Conclusions:
- Iron deficiency is the predominant cause of anemia in this Druze pediatric population.
- Serum ferritin demonstrates limited sensitivity for diagnosing IDA in this cohort.
- Mean corpuscular hemoglobin and transferrin saturation are more sensitive indicators for IDA diagnosis in children.
- Less expensive laboratory methods are valuable for diagnosing iron-deficiency anemia.
Abstract:
The prevalence and causes of anemia were studied in 294 Druze children aged 10 months to six years. The hemoglobin level was less than 11.0 g/dl in 19%; none of these anemic children had folate deficiency. Iron deficiency, diagnosed on the basis of abnormal values for at least two independent laboratory parameters, was the cause of anemia in all but two cases. The Pearson correlation coefficient for hemoglobin was highest with mean corpuscular volume, erythrocyte protoporphyrin, serum iron, transferrin saturation, total-iron-binding capacity, and serum ferritin. Mean corpuscular hemoglobin and transferrin saturation were abnormal in greater than 90% of anemic children, whereas serum ferritin and total-iron-binding capacity were abnormal in only 70%. In view of its limited sensitivity, serum ferritin appears to be a less useful diagnostic aid in iron-deficiency anemia than other, less expensive laboratory methods.