Maternal Anaemia is a Risk Factor for Anaemia in Infants at 14-16 Weeks-Need for Early Initiation of Iron Supplementation

Introduction: Exclusive Breast Feeding (EBF) is recommended uniformly for all infants till six months. It is believed that since bioavailability of iron in breastmilk is high this along with the fetal iron stores will be adequate till six months. Current recommendation for iron supplementation in te...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Indrani Misra, Padmasani Venkat Ramanan, Rajesh Balan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: JCDR Research and Publications Private Limited 2019-04-01
Series:Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research
Subjects:
Online Access:https://jcdr.net/articles/PDF/12747/40710_CE[Ra1]_F(AC)_PF1(AG_KM)_PN(SL).pdf
_version_ 1818775095487758336
author Indrani Misra
Padmasani Venkat Ramanan
Rajesh Balan
author_facet Indrani Misra
Padmasani Venkat Ramanan
Rajesh Balan
author_sort Indrani Misra
collection DOAJ
description Introduction: Exclusive Breast Feeding (EBF) is recommended uniformly for all infants till six months. It is believed that since bioavailability of iron in breastmilk is high this along with the fetal iron stores will be adequate till six months. Current recommendation for iron supplementation in term infants is only from six months. However, maternal iron deficiency may reduce fetal iron stores and the infant may develop deficiency earlier. Aim: To study the prevalence of anaemia in term appropriate for gestation age exclusively breastfed infants at 14-16 weeks of age and its relationship to mothers’ haemoglobin at delivery. Materials and Methods: This observational study was done from March 2017 to July 2018. We recruited 350 Term Appropriate for Gestational Age (TAGA) infants on EBF aged 14-16 weeks. Chi-square test was used to test the association between the categorical variables. A binary logistic regression was used to calculate the odds ratio and 95% confidence interval. Results: Among the 350 infants studied 129 (36.8%) had anaemia. In the anaemia group, 34 (26.4%) out of 129 infants were significantly underweight compared to 36 (16.3%) out of 221 non-anaemic infants. There were significantly more anaemic children among the lower Socio-economic class with 10/17 (58.8%). Among the 350 mothers, 137 (39%) had anaemia at the time of delivery. The prevalence of anaemia in the infants born to anaemic mothers was 64% and among non-anaemic mothers it was 19%. There was a moderate positive correlation (0.52) between maternal Haemoglobin (Hb) at delivery and anaemia in infants at 14-16 weeks. Conclusion: The prevalence of anaemia in the infants born to anaemic mothers was significantly higher than non-anaemic mothers. Maternal anaemia should be taken as a risk factor for anaemia in EBF infants and these children should be routinely started on iron supplements in early infancy.
first_indexed 2024-12-18T10:51:35Z
format Article
id doaj.art-15e0de31af3a416891f779c08ffbb9d8
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2249-782X
0973-709X
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-18T10:51:35Z
publishDate 2019-04-01
publisher JCDR Research and Publications Private Limited
record_format Article
series Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research
spelling doaj.art-15e0de31af3a416891f779c08ffbb9d82022-12-21T21:10:26ZengJCDR Research and Publications Private LimitedJournal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research2249-782X0973-709X2019-04-01134SC01SC0310.7860/JCDR/2019/40710.12747Maternal Anaemia is a Risk Factor for Anaemia in Infants at 14-16 Weeks-Need for Early Initiation of Iron SupplementationIndrani Misra0Padmasani Venkat Ramanan1Rajesh Balan2Postgraduate, Department of Paediatrics, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, Porur, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.Professor, Department of Paediatrics, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, Porur, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.Associate Professor, Department of Paediatrics, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, Porur, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.Introduction: Exclusive Breast Feeding (EBF) is recommended uniformly for all infants till six months. It is believed that since bioavailability of iron in breastmilk is high this along with the fetal iron stores will be adequate till six months. Current recommendation for iron supplementation in term infants is only from six months. However, maternal iron deficiency may reduce fetal iron stores and the infant may develop deficiency earlier. Aim: To study the prevalence of anaemia in term appropriate for gestation age exclusively breastfed infants at 14-16 weeks of age and its relationship to mothers’ haemoglobin at delivery. Materials and Methods: This observational study was done from March 2017 to July 2018. We recruited 350 Term Appropriate for Gestational Age (TAGA) infants on EBF aged 14-16 weeks. Chi-square test was used to test the association between the categorical variables. A binary logistic regression was used to calculate the odds ratio and 95% confidence interval. Results: Among the 350 infants studied 129 (36.8%) had anaemia. In the anaemia group, 34 (26.4%) out of 129 infants were significantly underweight compared to 36 (16.3%) out of 221 non-anaemic infants. There were significantly more anaemic children among the lower Socio-economic class with 10/17 (58.8%). Among the 350 mothers, 137 (39%) had anaemia at the time of delivery. The prevalence of anaemia in the infants born to anaemic mothers was 64% and among non-anaemic mothers it was 19%. There was a moderate positive correlation (0.52) between maternal Haemoglobin (Hb) at delivery and anaemia in infants at 14-16 weeks. Conclusion: The prevalence of anaemia in the infants born to anaemic mothers was significantly higher than non-anaemic mothers. Maternal anaemia should be taken as a risk factor for anaemia in EBF infants and these children should be routinely started on iron supplements in early infancy.https://jcdr.net/articles/PDF/12747/40710_CE[Ra1]_F(AC)_PF1(AG_KM)_PN(SL).pdfbreast feedinghaemoglobiniron deficiencypregnant women
spellingShingle Indrani Misra
Padmasani Venkat Ramanan
Rajesh Balan
Maternal Anaemia is a Risk Factor for Anaemia in Infants at 14-16 Weeks-Need for Early Initiation of Iron Supplementation
Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research
breast feeding
haemoglobin
iron deficiency
pregnant women
title Maternal Anaemia is a Risk Factor for Anaemia in Infants at 14-16 Weeks-Need for Early Initiation of Iron Supplementation
title_full Maternal Anaemia is a Risk Factor for Anaemia in Infants at 14-16 Weeks-Need for Early Initiation of Iron Supplementation
title_fullStr Maternal Anaemia is a Risk Factor for Anaemia in Infants at 14-16 Weeks-Need for Early Initiation of Iron Supplementation
title_full_unstemmed Maternal Anaemia is a Risk Factor for Anaemia in Infants at 14-16 Weeks-Need for Early Initiation of Iron Supplementation
title_short Maternal Anaemia is a Risk Factor for Anaemia in Infants at 14-16 Weeks-Need for Early Initiation of Iron Supplementation
title_sort maternal anaemia is a risk factor for anaemia in infants at 14 16 weeks need for early initiation of iron supplementation
topic breast feeding
haemoglobin
iron deficiency
pregnant women
url https://jcdr.net/articles/PDF/12747/40710_CE[Ra1]_F(AC)_PF1(AG_KM)_PN(SL).pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT indranimisra maternalanaemiaisariskfactorforanaemiaininfantsat1416weeksneedforearlyinitiationofironsupplementation
AT padmasanivenkatramanan maternalanaemiaisariskfactorforanaemiaininfantsat1416weeksneedforearlyinitiationofironsupplementation
AT rajeshbalan maternalanaemiaisariskfactorforanaemiaininfantsat1416weeksneedforearlyinitiationofironsupplementation