Abstract
In this chapter we examine characteristics of anaemia among infants, 9- 18 months of age. Design: Comparison of trends in the characterization of anaemia in infants during the years 2002 to 2012. Setting: The comprehensive database of Clalit Health Services (CHS) for infants, divided along ethnic and religious lines. Patients: Universal screening of all infants, 9-18 months old, in the Sharon Shomron (SS) district of the CHS. Main outcome measure: Prevalence of iron deficiency anaemia (IDA). Results: Between 2002 and 2012 there was a marked decrease in IDA prevalence. Among the Jewish population, the overall IDA prevalence rate dropped from 4.5% in 2002 to approximately 1.7% in 2012. The drop in prevalence was steeper in the Arab sector, where the rate plummeted from 7.0% to 2.5%. The IDA prevalence dropped by gender across ethno-religious groups from 8.8% to 3.2% for males, and 3.7% to 1.1% for females. When comparing the prevalence of anaemia by location, Pediatric Care Centers achieved greater gains against IDA than General Family Medicine Clinics. Conclusion: Mild IDA continues to exist among otherwise healthy infants, with significant declines for the 10 year period studied, with the steepest decline in the Arab community. Discrepancies remain along urban vs. rural lines. Prevention and early treatment of ID remain a priority for the child health services. IDA measures do not always reflect the true state of iron metabolism in the growing child, and added indices are proposed to better reflect the child’s status.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Childhood and Adolescence |
| Subtitle of host publication | Tribute to Emanuel Chigier, 1928-2017 |
| Publisher | Nova Science Publishers, Inc. |
| Pages | 187-203 |
| Number of pages | 17 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9781536135756 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781536135749 |
| State | Published - 1 Jan 2018 |