Abstract

Iron plays a role in multiple physiological functions, naming oxygen transport, gene regulation, DNA synthesis, DNA repair, and brain function. Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) may happen following iron deficiency, but iron deficiency alone may cause negative impacts on the health risk of pediatric patients. The degree of iron deficiency is described by total body iron (measured by ferritin), transport iron (measured by transferrin saturation), serum iron, and other hematologic and biochemical markers. Iron deficiency anemia is a result of insufficient iron supply causing the inability to maintain normal levels of hemoglobin. The most common causes of microcytic anemia in children are iron deficiency and thalassemia minor. There are various hematologic and biochemical parameters used for screening and diagnosis of iron deficiency anemia in children, but there is no single “best” test to diagnose iron deficiency with or without anemia. The “gold standard” for identifying iron deficiency is a direct test-bone marrow biopsy with Prussian blue staining. This article aims to explain iron metabolism in children and discuss the role of hematologic and biochemical parameters for screening and diagnosis of iron deficiency anemia in children.

Highlights

  • Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency across the world and an important public health problem, in developing countries [1]

  • The high prevalence of iron deficiency anemia in developing countries most often is attributed to nutritional deficiencies worsened by chronic blood loss due to parasitic infections and malaria

  • Anemia in children has a broad differential diagnosis, but it narrows once the anemia is classified further as microcytic

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Summary

Introduction

Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency across the world and an important public health problem, in developing countries [1]. The high prevalence of iron deficiency anemia in developing countries most often is attributed to nutritional deficiencies worsened by chronic blood loss due to parasitic infections and malaria. Unfortified complementary foods have a low iron content, iron deficiency, iron deficiency anemia (IDA) are major public health problems in infants and young children, especially in poor populations [4]. Knowledge of iron metabolism in infants and children has been enhanced due to recent discoveries of protein and peptides regulating iron absorption. A small peptide that is synthesized by the liver, can sense iron stores and regulates iron transport by ferroportin inhibition [7]

Iron requirements
Iron absorption in children and mechanism regulating iron absorption
Iron metabolism
Etiology of iron deficiency anemia
Iron deficiency: clinical classification and clinical findings
Diagnosis and laboratory findings
Findings
Conclusion

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