[Teenage iron deficiency]

Abstract

Iron deficiency is common in adolescents. This age-group needs more iron owing to the spurt of growth in puberty, and, in girls, because of menstrual losses, and in the event of pregnancy. In boys there is a normal rise in haemoglobin level from about 13 to about 15 g/100 ml, and in myoglobin (muscular mass). Physical training increases the need of iron (21). In addition, poor eating habits are quite common in adolescents. There are few data in the literature on the iron status of Norwegian adolescents, but large studies from USA, Canada and Sweden have disclosed iron depletion (s-ferritin below 16 micrograms/l) with or without anaemia in 40% of adolescent girls and 15% of adolescent boys. Screening, including haemoglobin and s-ferritin determinations, is advocated.