Influencing factors of iron deficiency in 3 to 6 months-old infants in Dongcheng District of Beijing

Abstract

Objective To explore the prevalence of anemia, iron deficiency and iron deficient anemia (IDA), and to identify their risk factors in 3 to 6 months infants in Dongcheng District of Beijing. Methods All the 845 infants aged 3 to 6 months who received bacille calmette guerin (BCG) vaccine during December 2010 and October 2011 in Hepingli Hospital of Beijing were invited to complete the investigation.Data (months, gender, birth weight, birth height, etc) were collected through a questionnaire survey.Infants were tested for hemoglobin (Hb), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), serum ferritin (SF) and zinc protoporphyrin (ZPP) and mothers underwent measurement for Hb, SF and serum iron (SI). Descriptive epidemiology and non-conditional logistic regression model were used to analyze the prevalence of nutritional anemia. Results The prevalence of anemia, iron deficiency and IDA was 12.06%, 7.38% and 2.11%, respectively.Non-conditional logistic regression analysis showed that the associated factor of anemia in infants was month age (vs. 3-4 months age group, 4-5 months age group: odds ratio (OR)=0.496, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.272-0.905; 5-6 months age group: OR=0.494, 95% CI 0.234-1.043). The factors associated with iron deficiency were month age (vs. 3-4 months age group, 4-5 months age group: OR=0.539, 95% CI 0.266-1.088; 5-6 months age group: OR=0.334, 95% CI 0.125-0.891)and time of first breast-feeding (vs. the first day, the second day: OR=2.359, 95% CI 1.191-4.675; the third day: OR=1.154, 95% CI 0.450-2.963). Conclusions Our data show that iron nutrition in 3 to 6 months-old infants in Dongcheng District of Beijing was in good situation.The influencing factors of iron nutrition in infants may be month age and the time of first breast feeding. Key words: Infant; Anemia, iron-deficiency; Logistic models