Iron status and dietary iron intake of 6–24‐month‐old children in Adelaide

Abstract

Iron deficiency is common in our young population. Additional strategies to prevent IDA need be developed and evaluated in Australian infants.

Iron status at 12 months of age — effects of body size, growth and diet in a population with high birth weight

“…Additionally, breast-fed infants receive less cow's milk. The positive effects seen from breast-feeding on iron status in the present study seem to differ from the results of several other studies (Oti-Boateng et al, 1998;Pizarro et al, 1991). Pizarro and co-workers found iron status to be negatively affected when breast milk was the only milk given for at least 9 months, while in the present study the median breast-feeding duration was 8 months; exclusive breast-feeding duration was shorter.…”

Iron deficiency and risk factors for lower iron stores in 6–24-month-old New Zealanders

“…Up to 10% of these South Island children apparently had functional iron deficiency, and close to 30% had suboptimal iron status (functional iron deficiency þ depleted depleted iron stores), assuming that attainment of serum ferritin levels of at least 13 mg/l is desirable and indicative of iron stores in this age group. Indeed, their median ferritin and haemoglobin levels were at the lower end of ranges reported in recent studies of young children in Western countries (ie, 17 vs 16-59 mg/l for ferritin and 114 vs 115-130 g/l for haemoglobin) (Wharf et al, 1997;Oti-Boateng et al, 1998;Sherriff et al, 1999;Male et al, 2001). Compared to previous New Zealand studies, however, our results showed a much lower prevalence of functional iron deficiency (ie, 10 vs 17-34%), which was instead similar to rates reported for young children in Australia, North America and the European Union, when similar biochemical criteria and age groups were assessed (Gregory et al, 1995;Karr et al, 1996;Zlotkin et al, 1996;Innis et al, 1997).…”

“…In New Zealand, recent prevalence estimates of iron deficiency and anaemia for 6-24-month-old children range from 18 to 51% and 5 to 34%, respectively (Moyes et al, 1990;Poppe, 1993;Crampton et al, 1994;Rive et al, 1995;Wham, 1996;Adam et al, 1998;Wilson et al, 1999). These rates are much higher than those reported for young Australian, European and North American children (Greene-Finestone et al, 1991;Karr et al, 1996;Eden & Mir, 1997;Innis et al, 1997;Looker et al, 1997;Oti-Boateng et al, 1998), and hence has given rise to concern among the New Zealand health profession. Notwithstanding, these New Zealand studies were based on small, opportunistic and often hospital-based samples in which anaemia may be disease related (Gibson, 1990).…”

“…Depleted iron stores were defined as low ferritin only (and not IDA or ID). The results are presented using two different cutoffs for serum ferritin (r10 mg/l and r12 mg/l), each corresponding to different internationally reported values indicative of absent to depleted stores (Emond et al, 1996;Karr et al, 1996;Looker et al, 1997;Oti-Boateng et al, 1998;Persson et al, 1998;Sherriff et al, 1999). For ZPP, a cutoff value of Z70 mmol/mol haem was used based on values from the 1997 New Zealand National Nutrition Survey of adults, with an upwards adjustment of 10 mmol/mol haem to account for the physiological age-related difference in ZPP .…”

“…Among young Australian and European Union children, prematurity, age, sex, ethnicity, growth rate, household socioeconomic status, maternal education levels and intakes of cows' milk and iron-fortified foods have been associated with iron status (Michaelsen et al, 1995;Emond et al, 1996;Wharf et al, 1997;Freeman et al, 1998;Oti-Boateng et al, 1998;Persson et al, 1998;Bramhagen & Axelsson, 1999;Sherriff et al, 1999;Bougle et al, 2000;Karr et al, 2001;Male et al, 2001). Of these, only ethnicity has been consistently reported in New Zealand (Caucasian4 non-Caucasian) (Akel et al, 1963;Moyes et al, 1990), in part, because small study sample sizes have precluded any indepth analyses of multiple risk factors.…”