All issues > Volume 51(8); 2008

Original Article

Korean J Pediatr. 2008;51(8):820-826. Published online August 15, 2008.

A comparative study on iron deficiency anemia based on feeding patterns of nine-month-old infants

Hyun Jin HJ Yun¹, Eun Jeong EJ Choi¹, Eun Jin EJ Choi¹, Su Young SY Hong¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, Il Sin Christian Hospital, Busan, Korea

Correspondence Su Young SY Hong ,Email: prifen@hanmail.net

Abstract

Purpose
: This study was conducted to evaluate the red cell indices and frequency of iron deficiency anemia based on the feeding patterns of nine-month-old infants.
Methods
: Blood tests were performed on 253 nine-month-old infants, who visited Il Sin Christian Hospital for health check- ups from January to December 2007. Their parents answered telephonic questions regarding their feeding patterns and weaning foods.
Results
: Three infants groups were created according to feeding patterns before they started weaning foods. One group was exclusively breast-fed (48.6%), another had mixed feeding (27.3%), and the third had artificial milk feeding (24.1%). Red cell indices (hemoglobin, hematocrit, MCV, MCH) of the breast-fed group were comparatively lower than those of the other two groups (P<0.05). Twenty-five infants (9.9%) were diagnosed with iron-deficiency anemia. According to feeding patterns, the frequency of anemia was highest in the breast-fed group. Six infants who started weaning foods before six months of age (113 infants) were diagnosed with iron-deficiency anemia (5.3%), and nineteen who started after six months of age (140 infants) were diagnosed with iron-deficiency anemia (13.6%).
Conclusion
: When nine-month old infants visit hospitals for health check-ups, pediatricians must consider their feeding pattern and weaning foods histories, and then recommend screening blood tests for iron-deficiency anemia.

Keywords :Iron deficiency, Anemia, Infants, Feeding pattern