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Table 2 Infant demographics, anthropometrics, feeding patterns and blood test results at 3 and 5 months

From: Iron deficiency in healthy, term infants aged five months, in a pediatric outpatient clinic: a prospective study

Characteristic

Age

Birth

3 months

5 months

Gender, n (%)

   

 Male

46 (50.5)

  

 Female

45 (49.5)

  

Gestation (weeks), n (%)

   

 37–38

34 (37.4)

  

 38–39

22 (24.2)

  

 39–40

27 (29.7)

  

 >40

8 (8.8)

  

Birth route, n (%)

   

Caesarean section

32 (35.2)

  

Vaginal delivery

59 (64.8)

  

Anthropometry

   

Weight, median (IQR)

3.1 (2.8–3.4)

5.9 (5.5–6.5)

6.9 (6.4–7.6)

Length, median (IQR)

48.0 (46.5–49.0)

61.0 (58.7–62.6)

65.0 (63.5–67.0)

Head circumference, median (IQR)

33.0 (32.0–34.0)

40.0 (39.5–41.0)

42.0 (41.0–43.0)

z-score weight-for-age, median (IQR)

-0.31 (-1.06–0.17)

-0.27 (-0.75–0.34)

-0.33 (-1.1–0.26)

z-score length-for-age, median (IQR)

-0.93 (-1.52–-0.08)

0.11 (-0.52–1.20)

0.20 (-0.49–1.10)

z-score HC for age, median (IQR)

-0.76 (-1.59–-0.2)

0.24 (-0.43–0.84)

0.07 (-0.38–0.76)

z-score weight-for-length, median (IQR)

0.44 (-0.11–0.95)

-0.25 (-1.11–0.32)

-0.52 (-1.43–0.37)

Underweight (weight-for-age <-2 SD), n (%)

0/91 (0)

1/91 (1.1)

3/88 (3.4)

Stunting (length-for-age <-2 SD), n

(%)

13/91 (14.3)

2/91 (2.2)

1/88 (1.1)

Wasting (weight-for-length <-2 SD), n (%)

0/84 (0)

8/91 (8.8)

9/88 (10.2)

Severe wasting (weight-for-length <-3 SD), n (%)

0/84 (0)

3/91 (3.3)

4/88 (4.5)

Feeding pattern

   

 Exclusively breast feeding

 

42/91 (46.2)

35 (39.8)

 Mixed feeding

 

38/91 (41.8)

27 (30.7)

 Fully formula feeding

 

11/91 (12.1)

26 (29.5)

 Supplementary feeding

 

0/91 (0)

1 (1.1)

Blood test results

   

 Hb (g/l) mean (SD)

 

113.4 (8.1)

118.9 (8.5)

 Ferritin (µg/l), median (IQR)

 

113.4 (65.0–183.6)

50.9 (29.2–70.4)

 CRP (mg/l), median (IQR)

 

0.03 (0.00–0.12)

0.04 (0.00–0.24)

Anemia/ID /IDA

   

 Anemia

 

27/90 (30.0)

14/86 (16.3)

 ID

 

0/90 (0)

5/85 (5.9)

 IDA

 

0/90 (0)

2/85 (2.4)

  1. Abbreviations: SD, standard deviation; IQR, interquartile range; HC, head circumference; Hb, hemoglobin; CRP, C-reactive protein; ID iron deficiency; IDA, iron deficiency anemia
  2. ID was defined as ferritin < 12 µg/L if CRP ≤ 5 mg/L and ferritin < 30 µg/L if CRP > 5 mg/L. Anemia was defined as a hemoglobin < 110 g/L. IDA was said to occur when ID and anemia were present simultaneously
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BMC Pediatrics

ISSN: 1471-2431

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