Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2009 May;89(5):1433-40.
doi: 10.3945/ajcn.2008.26964. Epub 2009 Mar 18.

Prevalence and predictors of iron deficiency in fully breastfed infants at 6 mo of age: comparison of data from 6 studies

Zhenyu Yang  1 , Bo Lönnerdal, Seth Adu-Afarwuah, Kenneth H Brown, Camila M Chaparro, Roberta J Cohen, Magnus Domellöf, Olle Hernell, Anna Lartey, Kathryn G Dewey
Affiliations
Free article

Prevalence and predictors of iron deficiency in fully breastfed infants at 6 mo of age: comparison of data from 6 studies

Zhenyu Yang et al. Am J Clin Nutr. 2009 May.
Free article

Abstract

Background: Iron deficiency (ID) can occur among exclusively breastfed infants before 6 mo of age.

Objective: The objective was to determine which subgroups of fully breastfed infants are at highest risk of ID.

Design: We assessed the prevalence of ID (ferritin < 12 mug/L) and iron deficiency anemia (IDA; ferritin < 12 mug/L and hemoglobin < 105 g/L) and risk factors associated with ID and IDA at 6 mo among 404 fully breastfed infants with a birth weight >2500 g from 6 studies in Ghana, Honduras, Mexico, and Sweden. Infants with an elevated C-reactive protein concentration (8%) were excluded.

Results: The percentages of infants with ID were 6% in Sweden, 17% in Mexico, 13-25% in Honduras, and 12-37% in Ghana. The percentages with IDA were 2% in Sweden, 4% in Mexico, 5-11% in Honduras, and 8-16% in Ghana. With data pooled, the key predictors of ID (20%) were male sex [adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 4.6; 95% CI: 2.5, 8.5] and birth weight 2500-2999 g (AOR: 2.4; 95% CI: 1.4, 4.3). The predictors of IDA (8%) were male sex (AOR: 7.6; 95% CI: 2.5, 23.0), birth weight of 2500-2999 g (AOR: 3.4; 1.5, 7.5), and weight gain above the median since birth (AOR: 3.4; 95% CI: 1.3, 8.6). The combination of birth weight 2500-2999 g or male sex had a sensitivity of 91% for identifying ID and of 97% for identifying IDA.

Conclusions: Among fully breastfed infants with a birth weight >2500 g, IDA is uncommon before 6 mo, but male infants and those with a birth weight of 2500-2999 g are at higher risk of ID and IDA.

PubMed Disclaimer