Prevalence Of Anemia In Children Research Articles

A Sustainable Approach to Combat Micronutrient Deficiencies and Ensure Global Food Security through Biofortification

Micronutrient deficiencies, particularly in essential vitamins and minerals, pose a significant public health challenge, affecting over two billion people worldwide. These deficiencies contribute to various health issues, impaired cognitive development, and reduced productivity, ultimately hindering social and economic progress. Biofortification, a process of enhancing the nutritional content of staple crops through conventional breeding or genetic engineering, has emerged as a promising and sustainable approach to combat micronutrient deficiencies and ensure global food security. This review explores the potential of Biofortification as a cost-effective and sustainable solution to address hidden hunger and improve the nutritional status of vulnerable populations. Biofortification offers several advantages over traditional interventions, such as supplementation and food fortification. By targeting staple crops consumed by the majority of the population, Biofortification ensures a wide reach and sustained nutrient intake without requiring significant changes in dietary habits. Moreover, biofortified crops can be grown locally, reducing the reliance on external interventions and empowering farmers to improve their nutritional status and livelihoods. Numerous studies have demonstrated the efficacy of bio fortified crops in increasing micronutrient intake and improving health outcomes. For instance, iron-biofortified pearl millet has been shown to increase iron absorption and reduce anemia prevalence in children, while zinc-biofortified wheat has improved zinc status and reduced stunting. Additionally, vitamin A-biofortified sweet potato and cassava have significantly increased vitamin A intake and reduced vitamin A deficiency in various populations.
 Despite the promising results, the success of Biofortification relies on several factors, including the development of nutrient-dense varieties, consumer acceptance, and effective dissemination strategies. Collaboration among researchers, policymakers, and stakeholders is essential to scale up Biofortification efforts and ensure their long-term sustainability. By prioritizing Biofortification as a key strategy in combating micronutrient deficiencies, we can work towards a more nourished and food-secure world.

Mothers’ education and childhood anaemia in Uganda

ABSTRACT This article employs ordered probit to examine the effect mother’s education and other socio-economic and community factors on the prevalence of childhood anaemia in urban and rural areas and severity of anaemia in Uganda using the Uganda Demographic and Health Survey. In Uganda, 53% of children aged 6–59 months suffered from some degree of anaemia, with 24% being mildly anaemic, 27% moderately anaemic, and 2% severely anaemic (UDHS, 2016). Anaemia has substantial negative effects on the health and economic wellbeing of nations and communities. The study findings indicate that mother’s education attainment and the partner’s schooling and socio-economic factors are important in explaining the prevalence of childhood anaemia in Uganda. The major implication of these results is that raising women’s education improves their economic opportunities, and the behavioural responses and this can greatly improve children’s health outcomes in terms of low prevalence of childhood anaemia.

Nutritional status of children left behind by migrant parents: Evidence from a survey in rural Anhui, eastern China.

We aimed to explore and analyse the dietary intake patterns of 3-6 year-oldchildren left behind by one or both parents and to assess their associations with body mass index (BMI) and the prevalence of childhood anaemia in rural Anhui, eastern China. We used random cluster sampling to recruit rural children aged 3-6 years in two rural areas in Anhui province. Sociodemographic information and dietary intake were collected by self-reported questionnaires. Height, weight and prevalence of anaemia were measured by trained nurses blinded to parental migration status. Factor analysis was applied to determine that major dietary patterns, binary logistic regression and generalised linear regression were used to explore the associations between anaemia and BMI Z-score with dietary patterns. Of 1720 children aged 3-6 years, 236 were left by both parents and 388 were left by a single parent. The prevalence of stunting and underweight among left-behind children with migration of both parents (BLBC) was significantly higher than that of non-left-behind children (NLBC). Three dietary patterns-"grain-vegetable," "meat-egg" and "fast food-sweet"-were identified in our study, and the total variance explained was 46.9%. The meat-egg dietary pattern was associated with a decreased risk of anaemia after adjustment for confounding factors in the left-behind children with migration of both parents (BLBC), left-behind children with single parent migration (SLBC) and non-left-behind children (NLBC) groups. After adjusting for confounding factors, the fast food-sweet dietary pattern was found to be associated with an increased risk of anaemia (OR [95% CI]: Q4 : 2.21 [1.14, 4.57], p = 0.034). In addition, children with obesity had a lower intake of vegetables and fruits (β = -0.08, 95% CI: -0.13, -0.02) compared with children with a normal weight. In conclusion, there are correlations between different types of parental migration and children's nutritional status in rural Anhui. The meat-egg dietary pattern may have a preventive effect on anaemia in comparison with other dietary patterns, irrespective of whether children are left behind or not. Children with overweight and obesity had a higher intake of pork and red meat and snacks compared with children with normal BMI.

Household environment associated with anaemia among children aged 6–59 months in Ethiopia: a multilevel analysis of Ethiopia demographic and health survey (2005–2016)

BackgroundAnaemia continues to be a major public health challenge globally, including in Ethiopia. Previous studies have suggested that improved household environmental conditions may reduce anaemia prevalence; however, population-level evidence of this link is lacking in low-income countries. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the association between environmental factors and childhood anaemia in Ethiopia.MethodsIn this study, we conducted an analysis of the data from the Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS), a nationally representative population-based survey conducted in Ethiopia between 2005 and 2016. The study included a total of 21,918 children aged 6–59 months. Children were considered anemic if their hemoglobin (Hb) concentration was less than 11.0 g/dl. To examine the association between environmental factors and anemia, we used multilevel mixed-effect models. These models allowed us to control for various confounding factors including: child, maternal, household and community-level variables. The study findings have been reported as adjusted odds ratios (AORs) along with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) at a significance level of p < 0.05.ResultsThe study found the overall prevalence of childhood anaemia to be 49.3% (95%CI: 48.7–49.9) between 2005 and 2016 in Ethiopia. The prevalence was 47.6% (95%CI: 46.1–49.1) in 2005, 42.8% (95%CI: 41.8–43.8) in 2011, and increased to 57.4% (95%CI: 56.3–58.4) in 2016. The pooled data showed that children from households practising open defecation were more likely to be anaemic (AOR: 1.19, 95% CI: 1.05–1.36). In our survey specify analysis, the odds of anaemia were higher among children from households practising open defecation (AOR: 1.33, 95% CI: 1.12–1.58) in the EDHS-2011 and EDHS-2016 (AOR: 1.49, 95% CI: 1.13–1.90). In contrast, neither household water sources nor the time to obtain water was associated with anaemia after controlling for potential confounders. The other variables significantly associated with childhood anaemia include: the child’s age (6–35 months), not fully vaccinated (AOR: 1.14, 95%CI: 1.05–1.24), children not dewormed in the last 6 months (AOR: 1.11, 95%CI: 1.01–1.24), children born to mothers not working (AOR: 1.10, 95%CI: 1.02–1.19), children from poor households (AOR: 1.18: 95%CI: 1.06–1.31), and rural residence (AOR: 1.23, 95%CI: 1.06–1.42).ConclusionIn Ethiopia, about fifty percent of children suffer from childhood anemia, making it a serious public health issue. Open defecation is a major contributing factor to this scourge. To address this issue effectively, it is recommended to strengthen initiatives aimed at eliminating open defecation that involve various approaches, including sanitation infrastructure development, behavior change campaigns, and policy interventions. In addition, to reduce the burden of anemia in children, a multi-faceted approach is necessary, involving both prevention and treatment strategies.

Variations in the Prevalence of Childhood Anemia by Ethnicity Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Peru.

We aimed to determine the variations in the prevalence of childhood anemia according to the ethnic group before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Peru. Secondary analysis of the Demographic and Family Health Survey during 2016-2021. The outcome variable was anemia, and the exposure variable was maternal ethnicity. Also, we included sociodemographic and clinical confounding variables. We constructed generalized linear models of the Poisson family with a logarithmic link function. We evaluated 85,905 records; 30.34% had anemia, 50.83% were mestizo, 25.98% were Quechua, and 2% were Aymara. Compared with mestizos, Quechua children (PR: 1.11; 95% CI: 1.07-1.15; p < 0.001), Aymara (PR: 1.35; 95% CI: 1.27-1 .44; p < 0.001), natives of the Amazon (PR: 1.20; 95% CI: 1.12-1.28; p < 0.001) and those who belonged to other indigenous peoples (PR: 1.29; 95% CI: 1.05-1.57; p = 0.013) had a higher prevalence of childhood anemia. On the contrary, compared to mestizos, white children had a lower prevalence of anemia (PR: 0.93; 95% CI: 0.89-0.99; p = 0.019). During the COVID-19 pandemic, compared to mestizos, only Quechua (PR: 1.15; 95% CI: 1.08-1.23; p < 0.001) and Aymara (PR: 1.38; 95% CI: 1.23-1.55; p < 0.001) had a higher prevalence of childhood anemia. Except for Afro-descendants, children from 6 to 59months of age who belong to an ethnic minority had a higher probability of having childhood anemia than mestizos. However, only Quechua and Aymara children had higher odds of anemia during the COVID-19 pandemic than mestizos.

Prevalence of Anemia in Children of India: A State-level Analysis from NFHS-4 and NFHS-5

As per the report of NFHS-5 in India 514 districts have more than 40 per cent prevalence of anemia among the children aged between 6-59 months. The present study analyses the status of anemia prevalence among the children (6-59 months) across states of India using the data from NFHS-4 and 5 factsheets. The study finds that prevalence of anemia in children (6-59 months) has increased for most of the states. The results of pooled OLS regression suggest that prevalence of iron-deficiency in women (age 15-49 years), public health expenditure and proper diet intake by children are important determinants of child anemia prevalence. The latter two factors have negative relation with child anemia prevalence whereas the former one has a positive relation with child anemia.

Knowledge, Attitude and Practices of Mothers attending Primary Healthcare Facilities in South-east Nigeria towards Prevention of Childhood Anaemia

Studies carried out in the past have shown that the incidence and prevalence of childhood anaemia in Enugu, south-east Nigeria, is high despite various intervention programs carried out in the past by the Federal government to reduce the prevalence. A cross-sectional study investigating knowledge, attitude and practices was carried out among the mothers of reproductive age 15-49 attending Abakpa health centre located in Abakpa district, Enugu, South East Nigeria. A total of one hundred and fifty-nine mothers attending Abakpa health centre consented and participated in the study. The sample was selected using the purposive sample method. Participants were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Analysis of the data was done using a statistical package for social science software (SPSS) version 23.0. Analysis of the socio-demographic characteristics of the participants and their children was done, evaluation of knowledge, attitude and practices of the participants towards childhood anaemia was done. They revealed that the majority of the participant had heard about childhood anaemia in the past. However, they still indulged in wrong practices and negligence that can lead to childhood anaemia. The majority of the participants do not practice exclusive breastfeeding, malaria chemoprophylaxis and good hygiene, which is one the major preventive measures for childhood anaemia. The study also revealed there is a positive moderate correlation between knowledge and practice using Pearson (r) correlation at 0.649 and there is no significant level between knowledge and practice at 0.236. Reduction in childhood anaemia can be achieved if proper training and enlightenment programs are organized for mothers, which help to close the knowledge gap that will result in better practices and reduction in the incidence of childhood anaemia in Enugu.

Prevalence of anemia in children until ten years in a private laboratory in Serra Gaúcha

One of the main hematological changes seen in laboratory routine is anemia, especially iron deficiency. In this case, in addition to decreased hemoglobin stores, we find the same situation with iron stores. Ferritin, on the other hand, is used to visualize iron stores. In the present study, a sample was selected from the database of a private laboratory in the city of Nova Petrópolis, Rio Grande do Sul, consisting of 668 patients, aged between zero and ten years. Hemoglobin and ferritin measurements were evaluated over a twelve-month period. The prevalence of anemia in children aged zero to ten years was zero, with the main hemoglobin value being 12g/dL. The ferritin values ​​were also all above the respective reference values, however, when we analyze the standard deviation, it is increased, indicating that the data is spread over a wide range of values. As the standard deviation of hemoglobin measurements is stable, iron deficiency anemia cannot be attributed to the participants.

Prevalence of Iron Deficiency Anemia among Under Five Years Children in a Tertiary Health Care Center of Nepal

BackgroundGlobally 39.8% children under five years old are anemic, with prevalence of childhood anemia in Nepal reported to be 52.7% by 2016. The aim of this study is to analyze the prevalence of anemia among pediatric age group between 2 months to 60 months to provide some insight for prevention of anemia among children. MethodsThis is a prospective observational cross-sectional study conducted over the period of 15st March 2019 to 14th August 2019 at Nobel Medical College Teaching Hospital which included children presenting to pediatric department between ages 2 to 60 months. Children with known history of hemolytic disorders, malignancies and chronic diseases were excluded from the study. Hemoglobin level and Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV) was obtained. Descriptive statistics such as mean, percentage and standard deviation were calculated. ResultsTotal 500 children selected randomly for the study, 234 (46.8%) children were non-anemic while mild anemia was seen in 86 (17.2%), moderate anemia in 155 (31.0%) and severe anemia in 25(5.0%) children. Mean hemoglobin was 10.2 gm/dl with standard deviation of 1.847. Among male 45.6% were anemic whereas 42.7%female were anemic. Children of age group 2 to 12 months had higher percentage of anemia with 76.2% being anemic. Among 266 anemic children 219 (82.3%) had MCV below the normal range. ConclusionOur study shows the higher prevalence of anemia in children between 2 to 60 months of age. Microcytic anemia was more common which represents higher prevalence of iron deficiency anemia among anemic children.

Anemia status of infants and young children aged six to thirty-six months in Ma'anshan City: A retrospective study.

Anemia in infants and young children can have long-term effects on cognitive and physical development. In Ma'anshan City, China, there has been growing concern about the prevalence of anemia among children aged 6 to 36 mo. Understanding the factors influencing this condition is crucial for targeted interventions and improving overall child health in the region. To analyze the anemia status and influencing factors of infants and young children aged 6 to 36 mo in Ma'anshan City, China. Providing scientific evidence for reducing the incidence of anemia and improving the health level of children in this age group. The study encompassed 37698 infants and young children, aged from 6 to 36 mo, who underwent health examinations at the Ma'anshan Maternal and Child Health Hospital from January 2018 to October 2022 were included in the study. Basic information, physical examination, and hemoglobin detection data were collected. Descriptive analysis was used to analyze the prevalence of anemia in children in the region, and univariate analysis was used to analyze the influencing factors of anemia. The mean hemoglobin level of infants and young children aged 9 to 36 mo increased with age, and the anemia detection rate decreased with age. The anemia detection rate in rural infants aged 6, 9, and 12 mo was higher than that in urban infants. Although the anemia detection rate was higher in 6-mo-old boys than girls, it was higher in 24-mo-old girls than boys. There were statistically significant differences in the anemia detection rates among 9-mo-old and 12-mo-old infants with different nutritional statuses (emaciation, overweight, obese, and normal). Moreover, there were no statistically significant differences in anemia detection rates among infants and young children with different nutritional statuses at other ages. Besides, the anemia detection rates in obese infants aged 9 and 12 mo were higher than those in normal and overweight infants, with statistically significant differences. Finally, there were no statistically significant differences in the anemia detection rates between emaciation infants and those with other nutritional statuses. The anemia situation among infants and young children aged 6 to 36 mo in Ma'anshan City, China, is relatively prominent and influenced by various factors. Our result shown that attention should be paid to the anemic infant and young child population, with strengthened education and targeted prevention and dietary guidance to help them establish good living habits, improve nutritional status, and reduce the occurrence of anemia to improve children's health levels.

Dietary Patterns and Association with Anemia in Children Aged 9-16 Years in Guangzhou, China: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Anemia affects 1.8 billion people worldwide, and diet is one of the key modifiable factors for treating anemia in children. The dietary pattern has changed rapidly in recent decades, but its effect on childhood anemia has not been reported. This study aimed to identify dietary patterns among children in rural areas of Guangzhou, China, and explore their association with anemia. A total of 1476 children aged 9-16 years old were included in this study. Demographics, lifestyle, and anthropometric and dietary information were collected. Factor analysis was used to identify dietary patterns, and anemia was diagnosed based on hemoglobin levels. Robust Poisson regression and subgroup analysis were used to analyze the association between dietary patterns and anemia. The prevalence of anemia in children was 10.4%, with 6.1% in boys and 15.4% in girls. Four dietary patterns were identified, including a fast food pattern, a vegetarian pattern, a meat and egg pattern, and a rice and wheat pattern. A high score in the fast food pattern was positively associated with risk of anemia in children entering puberty (PR = 1.767, 95% CI: 1.026~3.043, p = 0.039), especially in girls after menarche, with marginal significance (PR = 1.740, 95% CI: 0.977~3.097, p = 0.059). A high score in the meat and egg pattern was negatively associated with risk of anemia in children entering puberty (PR = 0.498, 95% CI: 0.286~0.866, p = 0.013), especially in boys after spermatorrhea (PR = 0.237, 95% CI: 0.031~0.590, p = 0.007). The fast food pattern was a risk factor for anemia in children, and the meat and egg pattern was a protective factor for anemia in children entering puberty. The findings of this study could be used to guide the strategies of evidence-based preventive nutrition interventions to curb anemia in children.

Child anemia in Cambodia: A descriptive analysis of temporal and geospatial trends and logistic regression-based examination of factors associated with anemia in children.

Anemia in children remains a public health concern in many resource-limited countries. To better understand child anemia in Cambodia, we examined temporal and geospatial trends of childhood anemia and used logistic regression to analyze its association with individual and household characteristics using data from the Cambodia Demographic and Health Surveys for 2005, 2010, and 2014. The prevalence of childhood anemia decreased from 62.2% in 2005 to 56.6% in 2014. The prevalence of childhood anemia was highest in Pursat (84.3%) for 2005, Kampong Thom (67%) for 2010, and Preah Vihear and Steung Treng (68.6%) for 2014. After adjusting for other variables, factors positively associated with childhood anemia included having a mother who was anemic (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.77, 95% CI: 1.58-1.97); being male vs. female (AOR = 1.20, 95% CI: 1.07-1.33), underweight (AOR = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.14-1.57), or stunted (AOR = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.09-1.41); or having had a recent episode of fever (AOR = 1.16, 95% CI: 1.03-1.31). Children were less likely to have anemia if they were older than 12 months. They were also less likely to have anemia if they were from a wealthier household (AOR = 0.64; 95% CI: 0.50-0.84) or had taken medications for intestinal parasites (AOR = 0.86; 95% CI: 0.89-0.93). These associations were generally consistent across time and space. Public health interventions and policies to alleviate anemia should be prioritized to address these factors across geospatial divides. Anemia remains highly prevalent among children aged 6-59 months in Cambodia.

Key drivers of reversal of trend in childhood anaemia in India: evidence from Indian demographic and health surveys, 2016–21

AimRecent National Family Health Survey results portray striking improvements in most population and health indicators, including fertility, family planning, maternal and child health, gender treatment, household environments, and health insurance coverage of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), with all India resonance. However, the prevalence of any anaemia (< 11 g/dl) among children under age five has exhibited a reversed trajectory in recent years. Therefore, the present study explores key drivers of the reversal of the trend in the prevalence of childhood anaemia between 2015 and2021.MethodsData of four rounds of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) were used to show the overall trend of anaemia among children. However, for the analysis of key drivers of the reversal trend of childhood anaemia, only the recent two rounds (NFHS-4 & NFHS-5) were used. Descriptive, bivariate multivariable analysis and Fairlie decomposition model were used to explore the drivers of the reversal of the trend in childhood anaemia.ResultsDuring the past two decades, India has seen a decline in the prevalence of childhood anaemia (NFHS-2 to NFHS-4). However, a reversal of trend was observed recently. The prevalence of anaemia among children aged 6–59 months increased from 59 percent in NFHS-4 to 67 percent in NFHS-5. In addition, the prevalence of mild anaemia increased from 23.3 percent in NFHS-2 to 28.7 percent in NFHS-5. However, the prevalence of moderate and severe anaemia declined considerably from NFHS-2 (40 percent and 4.1 percent) to NFHS-4 (28.7 percent and 1.6 percent), but showed an increase in the prevalence in NFHS-5 (36.3 percent and 2.2 percent). Among others, mothers’ educational attainment, anaemia status and socio-economic status emerge as the key drivers of the change in the prevalence of childhood anaemia.ConclusionThese findings may have vital implications for the ongoing Anaemia Mukt Bharat Programme, one of the government's dream projects in India.

Prevalence and risk factors of anemia in the mother–child population from a region of the Colombian Caribbean

BackgroundDespite Colombia's robust well-child visits program, Colombian children and mothers still suffer from anemia, especially in populations of lower socioeconomic status. In this study, we aimed to quantify the prevalence and risk factors among mothers and their children attending their well-child visits in Apartadó, a municipality in the Urabá region of the Colombian Caribbean.MethodsThere were 100 mother–child pairs enrolled in this secondary data-analysis study from a health facility in the municipality of Apartadó, Urabá, Colombia, during well-child visits. Self-reported data included child illnesses in the past two weeks (diarrheal, fever, or respiratory symptoms), child feeding practices (breastfeeding, complementary feeding), child vaccinations, and demographic characteristics (mother’s and child’s age, mother’s education, marital status, race, and child sex) and socioeconomic status. Mother and child anthropometry data were collected via standardized weight and height measurements. Mother or child anemia status was collected via a blood test. Chi-squared tests and multivariable logistic regression were used to assess associations between risk factors and anemia.ResultThe anemia prevalence in children (74%) and mothers (47%) was higher than the Colombian national prevalence. Reported child comorbidities in the preceding two weeks were not significantly associated with child anemia and included respiratory illnesses (60%), fever (46%), and diarrhea (30%). Stunting (8%) was not significantly associated with anemia. Wasting (0%) was not observed in this study. Reported child breastfeeding and complementary feeding were also not significantly associated with child anemia. In adjusted models, the child's significant risk factors for anemia included the mother's "Mestiza" race (OR: 4.681; 95% CI: 1.258, 17.421) versus the Afro-Colombian race. Older children (25–60 months) were less likely to develop anemia than younger (6–24 months) children (OR: 0.073; 95% CI: 0.015, 0.360).ConclusionsThe finding of high anemia prevalence in this study advances our understanding of child and maternal anemia in populations of low socioeconomic status where health care is regularly accessed through well-child programs.

Women's Autonomy and Anemia in Children under Five Years of Age: A Peruvian Population-Based Survey.

To determine the association between women's autonomy and the presence of childhood anemia in children under five years of age in Peru, a cross-sectional study utilizing data from the 2019 Demographic and Family Health Survey was carried out. The study employed generalized linear models with a Poisson distribution and log link function. Crude and adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) were calculated, along with their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI), to assess the association of interest. A total of 15,815 women and their children under five years of age were analyzed. The prevalence of childhood anemia was 30.4% (95%CI: 29.5-31.3%), while the proportions of low, moderate and high autonomy of the mothers were 44.5%, 38.4% and 17.1%, respectively. Children under five years of age of women with a low level of autonomy were more likely to have anemia (aPR: 1.10; 95%CI: 1.00-1.21). Three out of ten children under five years of age suffer from anemia, and four out of ten mothers have a low level of autonomy. A low level of women's autonomy was associated with a higher probability of anemia in children under 5 years of age.

Prevalence of Anaemia in Children Aged 6 to 59 Months at the Makiso - Kisangani General Referral Hospital from 2020 to 2022

Anaemia is a public health problem with major consequences for health and in increasing the risk of infant mortality in its severe form. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of anaemia in children aged between 6 and 59 months at the Makiso - Kisangani general referral hospital between 2020 and 2022. This was a descriptive cross-sectional study based on a literature review. We took an exhaustive sample of 215 patients who met the inclusion criteria during the study period. To compare our results with previous work, we used descriptive analysis. We observed a prevalence of anaemia of 20.7% in children aged 6 to 59 months, of whom 28.4% were aged 12 to 23 months, with a sex ratio of 1.6 in favour of males. Anaemia, sickle cell disease and malnutrition were the main antecedents, while pallor was the dominant clinical sign, followed by fever and tachycardia. Over 75% of cases were associated with malaria, followed by pneumonia in 26.4%. Severe anaemia accounted for more than half the cases. Management was based on artesunate (82.8%), iron supplementation (81.9%) and transfusion (52.1%). This resulted in 97.2% recovery and 2.8% death. Preventive measures and improved management must therefore be undertaken to combat the aetiologies involved and reduce mortality to below 1%.

Interplay between copper and cobalt in hematopoiesis and the impact of their deficiency on anemia development

Hematopoiesis is a complex process that requires a specific set of blood components to function properly. Blood diseases can result from imbalances or deficiencies in these components. The body has physiological sensors that respond to environmental changes by maintaining elemental homeostasis. A deficiency in one micronutrient can lead to imbalances in others. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role and interaction of copper, cobalt, and iron in hematopoiesis and to determine the prevalence of anemia in children living in the Aral Sea region.A total of 1120 children and adolescents were examined, and their physical development was measured using anthropometric measurements and laboratory tests. Hair samples were analyzed to determine the children's micronutrient status. The results revealed that 78% of the children had a decrease in hemoglobin, and anemia was more prevalent in adolescents. A correlation was found between high growth and increased levels of erythrocytes and hemoglobin. The study also identified the most common hypomicroelementoses in the Aral Sea region, including copper deficiency in 98.4% of cases, cobalt deficiency in 92.1%, and zinc deficiency in 57.8%.The study also analyzed the ratio of trace elements, revealing an increased Fe/Cu and Fe/Cu ratio in all age groups. Imbalances and deficiencies in copper, cobalt, zinc, and manganese were found to contribute to the development of anemia in children. Hair analysis for trace elements was shown to be significant in the differential diagnosis and treatment of children with anemia.In conclusion, the study highlights the importance of maintaining a proper balance of trace elements in hematopoiesis. Deficiencies in copper, cobalt, zinc, and manganese can contribute to anemia in children, and hair analysis can be used to diagnose and treat the condition. Further research is needed to better understand the role of trace elements in hematopoiesis and their impact on human health.

Trends in regional inequalities in childhood anemia in Ethiopia: evidence from the 2005–2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Surveys

IntroductionGlobally, 269 million children aged 6–59 months were anemic in 2019. Of these, 103 million anemic children were from Africa. Childhood anemia is still a serious public health concern in SSA countries, including Ethiopia. In Ethiopia, the prevalence of childhood anemia largely varies by geographic administration regions. This study is aimed to examine trends in regional inequalities in childhood anemia in Ethiopia over the period 2005–2016.MethodThis cross-sectional study was based on a pooled total sample of 17,766 children aged 6–59 months drawn from three rounds of the Ethiopian Demography and Health Surveys (2005–2016). We employed multilevel binary logistic regression analysis to identify the determinants of childhood anemia among children aged 6–59 months. We also used Theil and multivariate decomposition analyses to examine the levels and trends in relative regional inequalities in childhood anemia.ResultA combination of individual-, household- and community-level factors were significantly (p < 001) associated with childhood anemia. From the pooled data, the highest childhood anemia was observed in Somali (78.68%) followed by Afar region (72.76%) while the lowest childhood anemia was in Amhara (41.01%), Addis Ababa (42.64%) and SNNPR (44%) between 2005 and 2016. The total relative inequality declined from 0.620 in 2005 to 0.548 in 2016. Overall, one-third of change in regional inequalities in childhood anemia was due to the differential resulted from the difference in observable characteristics of the subjects.ConclusionOverall progress made in Ethiopia was very slow with only a 13.14% reduction in the relative regional inequalities in childhood anemia over 11 years. The present study underscores addressing the existing disparities in socioeconomic status, maternal anemia and maternal employment status between emerging and non-emerging regions to reduce regional inequality in childhood anemia.

A STUDY ON RISK FACTORS AND CLINICAL PROFILE OF ANEMIA AMONG CHILDREN AGED 6 MONTHS–60 MONTHS AT A TERTIARY CARE CENTER IN TAMILNADU

Objectives: Anemia is an alarming health problem worldwide. Although it occurs in all age groups, children are more severely affected. The prevalence of anemia in children under 5 years in Tamil Nadu was 57.4% in 2021. This study aims to identify risk factors and clinical profile of anemia among children aged 6–60 months. Methods: This cross-sectional and observational study was carried out from January to December 2021. Children with newly diagnosed anemia were included while chronic anemia and secondary anemia were excluded from the study. A detailed history was recorded and relevant investigations were completed in a pre-structured proforma. SPSS software version 23 was used for statistical analysis. Pearson’s correlation and ANOVA were used for analysis and p&lt;0.005 was considered significant. Results: Among the 260 children included in the study, 51.9% were between 13 months and 36 months, 61.5% were males, 38.1% belonged to upper lower socioeconomic status, 86.2% were born at term, 70.1% were introduced to cow’s milk at 6–12 months, most of the children had anthropometric range in 3rd–50th percentile, 55.3% had PICA, pallor was seen in all children, hematological indices were low (p&lt;0.005), and 83.8% had microcytic hypochromic picture in peripheral smear. Conclusion: Iron deficiency anemia is a preventable cause of cognitive impairment and prompt interventions at the earliest will prevent morbidity and mortality secondary to anemia. Strategy to address poverty and awareness campaign to women on breastfeeding and better nutrition by policy makers can make a difference in preventing anemia in children.

The Prevalence of Anemia in Children Aged 6–23 Months and its Correlates Differ by District in Kapilvastu and Achham Districts in Nepal

BackgroundAnalyses of predictors of anemia or malnutrition often pool national or regional data, which may hide variability at subnational levels. ObjectivesWe sought to identify the risk factors for anemia in young Nepali children aged 6–23 mo in 2 districts: Kapilvastu and Achham. MethodsThis is an analysis of two cross-sectional surveys that were conducted as part of a program evaluation of an infant and young child feeding and micronutrient powder intervention that included anemia as a primary outcome. Baseline and endline surveys in each district (in 2013 and 2016) included hemoglobin assessments in n = 4709 children who were representative of children 6–23 mo in each district. Log-binomial regression models accounting for the survey design were used to estimate univariable and multivariable prevalence ratios for risk factors at multiple levels—underlying, direct, and biological causes. Average attributable fractions (AFs) for the population were calculated for significant predictor biomarkers of anemia in multivariable models. ResultsIn Accham, the prevalence of anemia was 31.4%; significant predictors included child’s age, household asset ownership, length-for-age z-score, inflammation (CRP concentration > 0.5 mg/L; α-1 acid glycoprotein concentration > 1 mg/mL), and iron deficiency (serum ferritin concentration < 12 μg/L with BRINDA-inflammation adjustment). In Kapilvastu, the prevalence of anemia was 48.1%; significant predictors included child’s sex and ethnicity, wasting and weight-for-length z-score, any morbidity in the previous 2 wk, consumption of fortified foods, receipt of multiple micronutrient powder distributions, iron deficiency, zinc deficiency (nonfasting serum zinc concentration of <65 μg/dL in the morning and that of <57 μg/dL in the afternoon), and inflammation. In Achham, average AFs were 28.2% and 19.8% for iron deficiency and inflammation, respectively. Average AFs for anemia in Kapilvastu were 32.1%, 4.2%, and 4.9% for iron deficiency, zinc deficiency, and inflammation, respectively. ConclusionsThe prevalence of anemia and its risk factors varied between districts, with inflammation contributing to a greater share of anemia in Achham than in Kapilvastu. The estimated AF for iron deficiency was around 30% in both districts; iron-delivering interventions and multisectoral approaches to anemia are warranted.