Assessment of Iron Profile and Its Effect of Deficiency in Growth and Development in Infants at One-Year-Old Age

Background:Anemia is described as a decreased erythrocyte count and or hemoglobin value below the 5th percentile of the usual hemoglobin value specified for that age in healthy individuals. Aim of the Work:To assess the iron status and evaluate the iron deficiency and their association with the development of motor activity and anthropometric measurement in one-year-old infants. Patients and Methods:This randomized cross-sectional study is performed on 200 infants aged one year in primary care unit at vaccination set in Damietta governorate. 45% Of them were females and 55% were males all of them underwent laboratory tests (complete blood count (CBC), serum ferritin, total iron binding capacity (TIBC), serum iron), growth and developmental assessment. Result:34% of infants were with normal hemoglobin ,serum iron and ferritin ,infants who have deficiency of iron were 25%, infants who have anemia without iron deficiency were 15% and. Infants who have iron deficiency anemia26%, of them 26.9% were underweight, 23.1% were stunted and 26.9% were delayed development, but growth and development unaffected in other cases. Conclusion: The percentage of iron deficiency anemia and iron deficiency is high in infants at one year, so we must start iron therapy at the first year to avoid the effects of iron deficiency on growth and development