EVALUATION OF IRON DEFICIENCY ANAEMIA IN UNDER-FIVE ANAEMIC CHILDREN PRESENTING AT ENUGU STATE UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITAL, ENUGU

Abstract

Anaemia is a common clinical problem encountered among the under-fives in
every day paediatric practice. Iron deficiency anaemia has been documented as the
commonest cause of nutritional anaemia worldwide. The anaemia could be severe
requiring blood transfusion. Behavioural deficits, cognitive dysfunction and poor school
performance have been documented ¡n iron deficiency anaemia. There are darts of
studies documenting the prevalence of iron deficiency anaemia in our environment,
hence, justifying the relevance of this study.
The aim of this study was to determine the overall prevalence of iron deficiency
anaemia in under five children presenting with anaemia at Enugu State University
Teaching Hospital, Enugu and to determine the relationship between this prevalence
and the subjects’ sex, age, nutritional status, current feeding options (for infants) and
the socio-economic class of the parents. Iron deficiency anaemia was defined in the
study population as packed cell volume less than 30% plus serum ferritin level less
than l0ng/ml.
The study was a prospective and analytical study. One hundred and seventy
eight children aged between 3-59 months with packed cell volume less than 30% were
consecutively recruited for the study. Their nutritional status was assessed using the Z-
score of their weight for age while the Okpere and Olusanyas’ socio-economic scoring
indices were used to determine the socio-economic class of the parents. The packed
cell volume was determined using the Microhaemotocrit centrifuge method, while serum ferritin
levels were assessed using Human Ferritin Enzyme Immunoassay test kits. Other information
regarding the feeding pattern of the subjects were assessed using a proforma.
The overall prevalence of iron deficiency anaemia in the study population was
27.0%. The prevalence was analyzed according to; age categories {Infants=26.6%
,toddlers=35.5%, preschool-age=21.7% (p=O.000)), gender {Male=28%, Female2S%
(p=0.725)), nutritional status {normal nutrition 24.3%, mild malnutrition 20.0%, moderate
malnutrition 40.0%, severe malnutrition5O.o% (p= 0.102)), socioeconomic class of parents
{upper class 21.4%, middle class=26.%, lower class=32.3% ( p=0.416)) and current
infant feeding options { exclusive breastfeeding=25.O%, predominant breastfeeding=33.O%,
mixed feeding =33 .0%, complementary feeding =28.3%).
In this study, the prevalence of Iron deficiency anaemia in under-five children
presenting with anaemia in ESUTH, Enugu was high. Toddlers were significantly affected by iron
deficiency anaemia compared to infants and preschool-age (p= 0.000). Statistically, the
prevalence of iron deficiency anaemia did not significantly vary with the sex, the nutritional
status and the socioeconomic class of the study population.
Screening for iron deficiency anaemia in under-five children presenting with anaemia
and use of iron rich food for complementary feeds were recommended.

EVALUATION OF IRON DEFICIENCY ANAEMIA IN UNDER-FIVE ANAEMIC CHILDREN PRESENTING AT ENUGU STATE UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITAL, ENUGU