Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 4, 2026
Quantitating Iron Transport Across the Mouse Placenta In Vivo Using Nonradioactive Iron Isotopes
Published on: May 10, 2022
[Iron storage in infants at 2 and 8 months of age]
H A Baptista-González1, M A Peñuela-Olaya, S Navarro-Necochea
1Instituto Nacional de Perinatología, Secretaría de Salud, México, D.F., México.
Insights
Early identification of infant iron deficiency is possible. Serum ferritin levels at two months can predict iron deficiency by eight months, aiding timely intervention.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Hematology
- Biochemistry
Context:
- Iron deficiency is a prevalent nutritional deficiency in infants.
- Early detection is crucial to prevent long-term developmental consequences.
- Current screening methods may not always identify at-risk infants early.
Purpose:
- To determine the predictive value of serum ferritin (SF) levels at two months of age for identifying iron deficiency by eight months.
- To evaluate the correlation between serum ferritin and hemoglobin (Hb) levels at two and eight months in infants.
- To assess if SF levels at two months can predict severe iron deficiency at eight months.
Summary:
- A study involving 57 infants analyzed serum ferritin (SF) and hemoglobin (Hb) levels at two and eight months.
- No infants had SF levels below 20 ng/mL at two months.
- Infants who developed severe iron deficiency by eight months showed significantly lower SF levels at two months (154.1 ng/mL) compared to those with sufficient iron (274.6 ng/mL), indicating predictive potential.
Impact:
- This research suggests that measuring serum ferritin at two months can help predict infants at risk of developing iron deficiency later.
- Enables earlier intervention strategies to prevent severe iron deficiency and its associated health issues in infants.
- Provides a potential biomarker for early screening in pediatric populations.
Abstract:
For to establish the probability of the early identification of the iron deficient in the infant, we evaluate the correlation between the serum ferritin (SF) values at two and eight months of age. It included 57 infants, 30 cases with SF higher than 20 ng/mL (group I), eight cases with SF between 12-20 ng/mL (group II) and 19 infants with SF lower of 12 ng/mL (group III); the addition of two late groups result in 27 cases with SF lower of 20 ng/mL (group IV). None cases had SF lower 20 ng/mL at two months of age. The correlation between SF values and hemoglobin (Hb) at two and eight months of age, the Hb of the infants deficients had better correlation (0.602 P = 0.006). The SF not had statistic correlation. For to establish if the groups had the same values of SF and Hb at two months on age, the SF values were in the group III vs group I were 154.1 and 274.6 ng/mL (P = 0.004) respectively. This data indicate that the infants that development severe iron deficiency to eight months of age, may predict this quantify the SF at two months of age.
