Ortadoğulu Göçmen ve Mülteci Çocuklarda Aneminin Değerlendirilmesi

Abstract

Objective: Anemia is defined based on low blood hemoglobin concentration and the worldwide prevalence of anemia is estimated as high as 24.8% according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Today health systems are facing the problems. and medical issues of an ever-growing refugee population. This study was planned to investigate nutritional and iron deficiency anemia in immigrant and refugee children. Material and Methods: In this study immigrant and refugee patients aged 0-18 years who applied to the Pediatric Clinics of Tepecik Training and Research Hospital for any reason between the years 2012-2018 were retrospectively evaluated. Patients who were admitted to the hospital for any reason and whose hematological parameters were coded were included in the study. Results: Study population consisted of 4840 cases including 2234 (46.2%) girls and mostly (n=4793:99.0%) Syrians .Mean age at admission was found as 47.67±57.79 (0-226) months. Mean values for various parametres were as follows: hemoglobin (Hb) (10.8±1.5 gr/dL), hematocrit (Hct) (32.8±4.3%), MCV (75.9±9.6 fL) , RDW (14.9±2.5%), serum iron (46.41±36.6 µg/dL), iron binding capacity (IBC) (379.52±75.98 g/dL), transferrin saturation (TS) (11.95±9.7%), serum ferritin (94.5±452µg/L). Hemoglobin levels were ≤ 10 gr/dL in 331 (6.8%) and ≤ 8 gr/dL in 83 (1.71%) cases. Biochemical parametres of iron status could not be assessed in all patients. Serum iron (n=838), IBC (n=748), TS (n= 748), and ferritin (n= 737) were evaluated in indicated number of patients. Menzter, Shine&Lal, and England indexes were calculated to evaluate the iron deficiency parameters of patients with lower age-adjusted MCV values. Total number of 1525 (incl. 714[46.8%] girls) cases had lower limit of normal MCV values and Menzter index of > 13. There was a significant relationship between MCV, IBC (p=0.033, r=-0.124) and TS (p=0.000, r=-0.232). While MCV was in the lower limit of normal and there were 1934 (886 girls) with Shine index of > 1530, and no relationship was found between MCV and any iron parameters. A total of 1277 patients had a England index of > 0 and a correlation was found only between MCV and TS saturation (p=0.001 and r=0.222). Conclusion: Although our study had a retrospective design and inadequate data, it is noteworthy in that it has determined the prevalence of anemia in this population.