Concomitant Iron Deficiency with B-Thalassaemia Minor in Preschool Children in Erbil City

Abstract

Background and objectives: Iron deficiency anaemia and beta thalassaemia trait are the most common microcytic hypochromic anaemias, however, coincidence of both has been the topic of few studies. This study carried out to determine if iron deficiency coexists and to which extent, also influence on hemoglobinA2 level and link to demographical and biochemical parameters among ?-thalassemia trait children aged 1 to 5. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study conducted on 112 children with thalassaemia minor diagnosed by blood counts and hemoglobin electrophoresis. The iron status of all children was measured, those with a cut-off value of serum ferritin level <15 ?g/l considered to have coexistence of iron deficiency (group I), furthermore, different variables compared to the remaining children with normal serum ferritin levels (group II). Results: Out of 112 ?-thalassemia trait children, 39 (34.82%) had concomitant iron deficiency, 35.9% females, and 64.1% males, with no significant difference in sex between the two groups. The mean age ± SD was 38 ± 16 months, yet iron deficiency coincidence was significantly higher among the younger children. There was no significant difference between those with or without iron deficiency regarding hemoglobin A2 level. Conclusions: We found that more than one-third of children with thalassemia minor are also iron deficient. Furthermore, serum ferritin level didn’t impact the hemoglobin A2 in thalassaemic minor children with or without concomitant iron deficiency.