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Hemoglobin response to an iron supplementation trial in schoolchildren living at high altitude

Abstract:

Iron deficiency anemia was evaluated by an iron supplementation trial in 50 apparently healthy schoolchildren living in Quito (2,800 m altitude); Using the customary cutoff point for hemoglobin defined by WHO and adjusted to altitude (13.3 g/dl), 36 children were initially classified as anemic. In fact, however, 22 children significantly increased their hemoglobin concentration (more than 1 g/dl) after 2 monthl of iron supplementation, and could be considered as anemic. Three truly iron-deficient anemic children were classified as normal using WHO references adjusted to altitude. Taking into consideration the difficulty in determining the cut-off limit of hemoglobin to define anemia, especially at high altitude, the most reliable evidence of iron-deficiency anemia is the hemoglobin response to an adequate iron supplementation trial.