Anemia - Risk Factors

Highlights	Symptoms	Resources
Introduction	Diagnosis	References
Risk Factors	Dietary Factors
Complications	Treatment

Risk Factors

Although nutritional iron-deficiency anemia has declined in industrialized nations, it affects an estimated2 billion people worldwide. Even in the US, iron deficiency is the most prevalent nutritional deficiency. It is highly associated with poverty, people in lower socioeconomic groups having double the risk of those who are middle or upper class.

Among Americans with iron deficiency anemia, young children have the highest risk followed by premenopausal women. Adolescent and adult men and postmenopausal women have the lowest risk. Men, in fact, are at risk for iron overload, probably because of their higher meat intake.

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General Risk Factors for Anemia in Infants and Children. Up to 20% of American children and 80% of children in developing countries become anemic at some point during their childhood and adolescence. Iron deficiency is the most common cause in children, but other forms of anemia, including hereditary blood disorders, can also cause anemia in this population. African American children have the highest rates of anemia (about 25%) while other ethnic groups have an incidence under 20%.

Iron deficiency affects about 9% of childrenyounger than 2 yearsand about 3% of children in this age groups are anemic as a result. Children in lower-income homes are at higher risk than those in higher income homes. In a study of low-income children, ages6 months to5 years, the prevalence of anemia was over 10%, and was nearly 18% in children younger than 2 years. However, that children in any income group can develop iron deficiency.

Young children9 -18months have the highest risk for iron deficiency anemia in the US. Such children also are at great risk for problems in mental development from anemia. Infant boys may have 10 times more risk than baby girls. In general, full-term infants who are breastfed by their mothers are born with sufficient iron stores for about6 months. After that, they must rely on other sources for iron.

Iron-deficiency anemia in infants and small children can be due to one or more of the following factors:

Stopping breast-feeding too early or using formula that isn't iron-fortified.
Bottle-feeding too long. Studies indicate that the longer children are bottle-fed, the greater the risk for iron-deficiency and anemia. Toddlers 12 months and older should not drink more than 2 cups of milk a day. Cow?s milk is good for children, but it does not contain enough iron. Too much milk can decrease children?s appetite and prevent them from eating the iron-rich food they need. When babies who are bottle-fed are 7 to 9 months old, they should be weaned from bottles and given sippy cups. By the age of 12 months, all children should be using a cup instead of a bottle.
Toddlers? preferences for iron-poor food. Parents should make sure that their children eat iron-rich foods such as beans, meat, fortified cereals, eggs, and green leafy vegetables