Prevalence of microcytic anemia among newborn infants from Baharloo hospital, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Background: Anemia has a very high prevalence across the world. Microcytic anemia is the most common nutritional disorder and a major health problem in infants and children associated with inadequate growth and development. Diagnosing anemia at the birth can be difficult. Due to the fact that conditions such as thalassemia and iron deficiency are causative factors of microcytic anemia are prevalent in Iran, early diagnosing and treating these diseases can prevent excessive costs and further complications. Therefore, recognizing the practical factors with this complication is an effective step in controlling and preventing it. Therefore, the present study was performed to determine the prevalence of microcytic anemia in newborns in Baharloo Hospital in Tehran, Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 210 infants, which were newly born on Baharloo Hospital from march2018 to march2019. 2.5 cc cord blood sample was extracted from each infant, and microcytic anemia were diagnosed according to factors such as Hb, MCV and others parameters. Results: in this study, we demonstrated that there is a significant association between MCH and microcytic anemia. Our results showed that the rates of newborn infants with anemia disease (Hb<13ml/dl) were 14.3 and the rates of microcytic anemia were 9.5. There were not any significant differences between mother's age, neonatal weight and height, type of parturition, pregnancy age and parental ratio with the incidence of microcytic anemia. Conclusion: Anemia has a relatively high prevalence in the center of Baharloo Hospital, Tehran, Iran. So screening and further investigation for anemia and related factors are critical. According to the results of our investigation, studies showed that anemia is a multifactorial disease that depends on different factors. The existence of variable results in different studies requires evaluating more parameters that affect the incidence of microcytic anemia, such as iron deficiency, eating habits, level of parental education, and use of iron supplements in pregnancy. Management of this disease requires screening and early diagnosis for more effective treatment and reduction of its potential complications. Copyright © 2021 Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Published by Tehran University of Medical Sciences.