IRON is an essential mineral necessary in the production of haemoglobin in our red blood cells. It is also an important part of the neurologic development of infants and children.
Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency worldwide and remains a major public health issue, especially in developing countries. In Malaysia, the WHO reported in 2016 that the overall prevalence of anaemia among children aged 15 years and below was 24.6%, where the majority of cases were due to iron deficiency.
The most common cause of iron deficiency in children is inadequate intake of iron. As picky eating and an imbalanced diet are common problems, especially among young children, the result is inadequate iron intake to match the daily iron requirement of 7mg in infants and toddlers.
Another important cause of iron deficiency is maternal iron deficiency during pregnancy. Thankfully, it is less commonly seen now due to better awareness and the widespread practice of providing iron supplements to pregnant mothers.
A premature baby has higher iron requirements and lesser iron stores and thus is at risk for iron deficiency. Other than that, exclusive breastfeeding beyond six months of age provides inadequate iron for babies. Also, excessive formula milk intake without adequate supplementary diet after six months old does not provide enough iron.
Iron deficiency is also commonly seen in families who are vegan due to the lack of readily absorbable heme iron found in meat. Children with chronic illnesses with blood loss or malabsorption are at risk of developing this nutritional deficiency as well.
