Weaning food practice in children with iron deficiency anemia

Chang, Joo Hee; Cheong, Woo Sik; Jun, Yong Hoon; Kim, Soon Ki; Kim, Hung Sik; Park, Sang Kyu; Ryu, Kyung Ha; Yoo, Eun Sun; Lyu, Chuhl Joo; Lee, Kun soo; Lee, Kwang Chul; Lim, Jae Young; Choi, Du Young; Choe, Byung Kyu; Choi, Eun Jin; Choi, Bong Soon

Original Article

Korean Journal of Pediatrics 2009;52(2):159-166.
Published online February 15, 2009.

Weaning food practice in children with iron deficiency anemia

Joo Hee Chang¹, Woo Sik Cheong¹, Yong Hoon Jun¹, Soon Ki Kim¹, Hung Sik Kim², Sang Kyu Park³, Kyung Ha Ryu⁴, Eun Sun Yoo⁴, Chuhl Joo Lyu⁵, Kun soo Lee⁶, Kwang Chul Lee⁷, Jae Young Lim⁸, Du Young Choi⁹, Byung Kyu Choe¹⁰, Eun Jin Choi¹¹, Bong Soon Choi¹²

¹Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Inha University, Incheon, Korea
²Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Keimyong Univeristy
³Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Ulsan University
⁴Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Ewha University
⁵Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Yonsei University
⁶Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Kyungpook University
⁷Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Korea University
⁸Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Gyeongsang University
⁹Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Wonkwang University
¹⁰Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Keimyong Univeristy
¹¹Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Daegu Catholic University
¹²Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Daegu Catholic University

철결핍빈혈 영유아의 식이력 조사 및 이유지식의 평가

장주희^¹^, 정우식^¹^, 전용훈^¹^, 김순기^¹^, 김흥식^²^, 박상규^³^, 유경하^⁴^, 유은선^⁴^, 유철주^⁵^, 이건수^⁶^, 이광철^⁷^, 임재영^⁸^, 최두영^⁹^, 최병규^¹⁰^, 최은진^¹¹^, 최봉순^¹²

^¹인하대학교 의과대학 소아과학교실
^²계명대학교 의과대학 소아과학교실
^³울산대학교 의과대학 소아과학교실
^⁴이화여자대학교 의과대학 소아과학교실
^⁵연세대학교 원주의과대학 소아과학교실
^⁶경북대학교 의과대학 소아과학교실
^⁷고려대학교 의과대학 소아과학교실
^⁸경상대학교 의과대학 소아과학교실
^⁹원광대학교 의과대학 소아과학교실
^¹⁰계명대학교 의과대학 소아과학교실
^¹¹대구가톨릭대학교 의과대학 소아과학교실
^¹²대구가톨릭대학교 영양학과

Correspondence:
Soon Ki Kim, Email: pedkim@inha.ac.kr

Abstract

Purpose
: Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is one of the most common nutritional deficiencies in children on a weaning diet. We investigated weaning practices in infants and children, as well as their mothers' knowledge about weaning.
Methods
: We investigated 129 children with IDA and 166 without IDA (aged 6-36 months) who had visited 10 university hospitals between March 2006 and July 2007. We investigated the hematologic values of both groups. A questionnaire on weaning was answered by the mothers of these children.
Results
: The hematologic values in the IDA group showed a significant difference from those in the comparison group (P< 0.05). Children who were solely breastfed until 6 months of age were 85%, 34% (P<0.05), and weaning was started by 6.3, 6.4 months, respectively (P>0.05). Rice gruel, boiled rice, and fruit juice accounted for approximately 80% of the starting foods in both groups (P>0.05). Only 40% of the children in the IDA group had a balanced diet within a month, versus 38% in the comparison group. In response to questions about the necessity of iron-fortified foods for breast-fed infants, less than 50% of mothers in both groups answered correctly. In the IDA group, 42% showed serum ferritin less than 10 ng/mL, while 92% showed serum MCV less than 72 fL.
Conclusion
: In conclusion, collection of information on history should be thorough for feeding and selective examinations for IDA in high-risk groups. Considering the adaptation period, we suggest beginning children on a weaning diet at 45 months. In addition, we need to educate mothers on weaning practice, especially on the necessity of iron-fortified foods for breast-fed infants.

Key Words: Iron deficiency anemia, Weaning, Nutrition, Knowledge