Dynamic Anemia Status from Infancy to Preschool-Age: Evidence from Rural China

Abstract

Anemia is a serious nutritional deficiency among infants and toddlers in rural China. However, it is unclear how the anemia status changes among China’s rural children as they age. This study investigates the prevalence of anemia as children grow from infancy to preschool-age, as well as the dynamic anemia status of children over time. We conducted longitudinal surveys of 1170 children in the Qinba Mountain Area of China in 2013, 2015 and 2017. The results show that 51% of children were anemic in infancy (6–12 months), 24% in toddlerhood (22–30 months) and 19% at preschool-age (49–65 months). An even larger share of children (67%) suffered from anemia at some point over the course of study. The data also show that although only 4% of children were persistently anemic from infancy to preschool-age, 8% of children saw their anemia status deteriorate. We further found that children may be at greater risk for developing anemia, or for having persistent anemia, during the period between toddlerhood and preschool-age. Combined with the finding that children with improving anemia status showed higher cognition than persistently anemic children, there is an urgent need for effective nutritional interventions to combat anemia as children grow, especially between toddlerhood and preschool age.

The Outcome of a Caregiver Potential Support Program on Anemia Prevention Among Children Six Months to Two Years in Thasala District, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, Thailand

“…This is consistent with a study of mothers with a low level of education, who have children with an increased risk of anemia [22]. Breastfeeding for more than 6 months and a delay in appropriate feeding according to age instead of supplementation also contributed to anemia [23]. Some parents were unaware of providing iron supplements to their children because they believed that their children were normal.…”

“…Anemia affects up to 60.2% of children aged 6 months to 5 years in Africa and 49.9% of children in Southeast Asia [2][3][4]. In China, infants aged 6-12 months and 2 years were found to have 51.2 % and 24% of anemia, respectively [5]. Anemia in children is a significant public health issue worldwide in developing and developed countries, including Thailand, where anemia in preschool children increased from 25.2% in 2011 to 29% in 2016 [6].…”

Dietary diversity is associated with nutrient adequacy, blood biomarkers and anthropometric status among preschool children in poor ethnic minority area of Northwest China

“…The results of this study are generally similar to other studies, the iron deficiency rate is higher than that of Zhejiang Province (one of the most economically developed provinces in southeast China) but lower than that of Qinghai Province (in northwest China) ( 37 , 38 ). Furthermore, the prevalence of anemia is quite low compared to other studies [19% in Wang et al, 11.19% in Zeng ( 39 , 40 )]. As of 2020, the “Nutrition Package” program of “1,000 days in early life” had been implemented in impoverished areas in China for many years.…”

Maternal pre-pregnancy anemia and childhood anemia in Indonesia: a risk assessment using a population-based prospective longitudinal study

“…Anemia in women and children has been a global public health problem that is currently still unresolved. The health implications of anemia in women and children not only carry a detrimental risk for health but also affect the quality of human resources in the future (1,2).…”