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Anaemia and iron deficiency screening in adolescence: a pilot study of iron stores and haemoglobin response to iron treatment in a population of 14—15‐year‐olds in Norway
Author(s) -
Eskeland B,
Hunskaar S
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
acta pædiatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/j.1651-2227.1999.tb00054.x
Subject(s) - medicine , iron deficiency , ferritin , norwegian , placebo , iron supplementation , population , pediatrics , serum ferritin , iron status , anemia , iron supplement , environmental health , alternative medicine , pathology , philosophy , linguistics
Screening for haemoglobin (Hb) and s‐ferritin, in 176 of all 189 (93%) pupils at 8th grade (14—15‐years‐old) in one Norwegian community was performed in order to map the prevalence of anaemia and depleted iron stores. In order to determine the clinical significance of the findings, a questionnaire aimed at detecting symptoms or risk factors for iron deficiency was completed by all participants, and a 3 mo therapeutic trial with iron was offered to subjects with s‐ferritin values below 15 p.g/l. Four percent of girls and 8% of boys were anaemic according to WHO cut‐off levels. S‐ferritin < 15 p.g/l was found in 25% of girls and 30% of boys. Forty‐four of 48 pupils with s‐ferritin < 15 p.g/l completed the therapeutic trial. Only three pupils had a clinically significant increase in Hb, representing less than 2% of the population. The questionnaire gave no clues that could identify subjects with depleted iron stores. To increase Hb in one 14—15‐y‐old with depleted iron stores, 59 (95% CHI: 20—285) had to be screened and 16 (6—76) had to be given iron treatment. This pilot study suggests that functional iron deficiency is rare in Norwegian adolescents despite a high frequency of low iron stores. A double blind, placebo controlled study covering the entire span of pubescence is needed to confirm these results. □ Adolescence, anaemia, iron deficiency, ferritin, haemoglobin, screening, therapeutic trial