Frequency of iron deficiency anemia among children with poor appetite complaint

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in children causes both mental and psychomotor impairment. This study was planned to investigate the frequency of iron deficiency anemia in children with poor appetite. Complete blood count and ferritin values of children admitted to the pediatric outpatient clinic due to poor appetite were analyzed retrospectively. Cases with a hemoglobin (Hgb) value below -2 SD and a ferritin level below 12 ng/ml according to the age group were considered as IDA. Four hundred and twenty-eight children aged between 6 months and 18 years were evaluated. 210 (49.06%) and 218 (50.94%) of children were male and female, respectively. Children were examined in four groups according to their age: 1) 6 months-2 years (n=193), 2) 3-6 years (n=142), 3) 7-11 years (n=67) and 4) 12-17 years (n=26). Children were divided into three groups according to their ferritin values: Group 1: ≥12 ng/ml (n=299), Group 2: between 6-12 ng/ml (n=95) and Group 3: ≤6 ng/ml (n=34). The rate of IDA was found to be 28.2% in children with a ferritin value of ≤12 ng/ml. The relationship between age and gender to the frequency of anemia was not statistically significant (p≥0.05). IDA is a common hematological disorder that can be seen at any age, especially in children aged 6-36 months. In children with poor appetite, the presence of iron deficiency should be investigated.