Iron deficiency can have many consequences for the present and future health of the child. It is crucial to identify both the risk factors and the clinical signs that can lead to a diagnosis of iron deficiency in order to optimize its management.
Anemia affects almost two in three children under the age of five in Africa, and in one in two cases, this anemia is due to iron deficiency1,2. It is not easy for parents to recognize the symptoms of iron deficiency for their child, and when to consult a healthcare professional. Therefore, it is essential that you can support parents in this process to establish an iron deficiency diagnosis as early as possible in order to treat it effectively.
To facilitate your daily practice, we offer a questionnaire to help you diagnose iron deficiency, which can serve as a basis for discussions with parents on infant nutrition. It will allow you to establish in a few minutes if the child is potentially deficient in iron.
Find the interview of Professor Saliou Diouf during the 11th edition of African Meeting of Infant Nutrition (RANI) on the diagnosis of iron deficiency in daily practice:
Infography : the iron deficiency diagnosis questionnaire
References
- The global prevalence of anaemia in 2011. 2015
- OMS. Focusing on anaemia. https://www.who.int/nutrition/publications/micronutrients/WHOandUNICEF_statement_anaemia/fr/ Consulted on 06/01/2020
BA20-464