Hemoglobin, Serum Iron and Iron Binding Capacity During Growth from Age 9 to 17

Abstract

In a longitudinal study of growth from age 9 up to 17 of apparently healthy boys and girls in the Netherlands, hemoglobin, serum iron and iron binding capacity has been studied. Iron deficient anemia did not occur in boys at subsequent ages 9, 13 and 17. In girls, the incidence of anemia increased from 1 % at age 9 to 7% at age 17. Iron depletion without anemia occurs rather often during puberty in boys. In girls, iron depletion occurs more often in the postpubertal period than in the (pre-) pubertal period. Noniron deficient anemia (low Hb, with normal serum iron and normal saturation percentages) occurs often during puberty (about 10%), either related to retardation of growth and development or to infection. It is discussed to what extent the frequent occurrence of latent or overt iron depletion in healthy children may be due to ‘iron-hunger’ because of high requirements during growth, nonnutritional factors, or nutritional factors other than iron in food.