Nutritional anaemia: clinical and haematological presentation in children

Authors

  • Sunil S. Vaidya Department of Paediatrics, Ashwini Rural Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre, Kumbhari, Solapur, Maharashtra, India
  • Dayanand P. Nakate Department of Paediatrics, Ashwini Rural Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre, Kumbhari, Solapur, Maharashtra, India
  • Shahaji Y. Gaikwad Department of Paediatrics, Ashwini Rural Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre, Kumbhari, Solapur, Maharashtra, India
  • Ramesh S. Patil Department of PSM, Ashwini Rural Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre, Kumbhari, Solapur, Maharashtra, India
  • Manoj S. Ghogare Department of Paediatrics, Ashwini Rural Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre, Kumbhari, Solapur, Maharashtra, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2349-3291.ijcp20190096

Keywords:

Anemia, Children, Iron deficiency, Nutritional anemia

Abstract

Background: There are three main causes of anemia, decreased production of RBCs, and excessive destruction of RBCs or Excessive blood loss. In India, the main reason of anaemia is the decreased production due to nutritional deficiency. The main nutrients required in the process of haemoglobin production are iron, folic acid and cyanocobalamine. The objective of the present study was to find the clinical presentations and hematological changes in children with nutritional anaemia.

Methods: This Cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2018 to October 2018 in the department of Paediatrics of Ashwini Rural Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, Solapur. Children visiting the paediatric OPD due to any illness and having clinical suspicion of anemia were initially screened for inclusion in the study. Detailed laboratory investigation such as CBC, peripheral blood for Leishman’s stain and reticulocyte count were performed. Serum Ferritin, vitamin B12, folic acid levels were also done to ascertain the cause of anemia. World Health Organization recommended criteria were used to diagnose and grade the anemia.

Results: A total of 405 anemic children were included in the study. Out of that 213 were boys and 192 were girls. A total of 226 children presented with mild anemia. The most common clinical presentation was respiratory tract infection, found in 62.22 % of children followed by fever in 53.09 % of children. Maximum numbers of patients were suffering from iron deficiency anemia, followed by folic acid deficiency. Deficiency of both of these nutrients was also common. Vit B12 deficiency was found in only 5 children.

Conclusions: The study concluded that iron deficiency anemia was the commonest nutritional anemia in children in the age group of 5 to 15 years. Second most common deficiency was of folic acid. Majority of the anemic patients presented with respiratory tract infection and fever.

References

Kleigman, Behrman, Jenson, Stanton. Nelson Text Book of Pediatrics 18th Edition Volume 2. Saunders Elsevier, Page 2116-2118.

Kotecha PV. Nutritional Anemia in Young Children with focus on Asia and India. Indian J Comm Med. 2011; 36(1):8-16.

Pollitt E Leibel RL, Greenfield DB. Iron-deficiency and cognitive test performance in preschool children. Nutr Behav 1983;1:137-46.

Palti H, Meijer A, Adler B. Learning achievement and behavior at school of anemic and non-anemic infants. Early Hum Develop. 1985;10(3-4):217-23.

Hurtado EK, Claussen AH, Scott KG. Early childhood anemia and mild or moderate mental retardation. Am J Clinical Nutrition. 1999;69(1):115-9.

Kapur D, Agarwal KN, Agarwal DK. Nutritional anemia and its control. Indian J Pediat. 2002;69(7):607.

WHO Haemoglobin concentrations for the diagnosis of anaemia and assessment of severity. Vitamin and Mineral Nutrition Information System. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2011.

Madoori S, Ramya C, Valugula S, Sandeep G, Kotla S. Clinico hematological profile and outcome of anemia in children at tertiary care hospital, Karimnagar, Telangana. India. Int J Res Med Sci 2015;3(12):3567-71.

Saroja CN, et al. Cross-sectional study of nutritional anaemia in Indian Paediatric population. Sch J App Med Sci. 2015; 3(5E):2106-10.

Janjale A, Pande S, Sonawane R, Ahire N, Sonawane S. A Study of Severe Anemia in Children in a Tertiary Care Institute. MVP J Med Sci. 2018; 5(1):33-8.

Downloads

Published

2019-02-23

Issue

Section

Original Research Articles