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Table 5 Comparison of variables between infants with and without iron-deficiency aged 5 months

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

Variable

Iron deficient* infants

Non-iron deficient infants

p-value

Gestational age

   

37 to < 39 weeks

60% (3/5)

60% (48/80)

1.0

≥ 39 weeks

40% (2/5)

40% (32/80)

1.0

Caesarean section

60% (3/5)

30% (24/80)

0.321

Pregnancy complications present

40% (2/5)

27.5% (22/80)

0.618

Mother Malaysian Chinese

60% (3/5)

22.5% (18/80)

0.587

Family income group > RM 6500

40% (2/5)

21.3% (17/80)

0.583

Mother post-secondary education

100% (5/5)

77.5% (62/80)

0.356

Mother employed

100% (5/5)

80% (64/80)

0.578

Pregnancy iron

100% (5/5)

96.3% (77/80)

1.0

Mother iron supplementation at:

   

 3 months

60% (3/5)

21.3% (21/80)

0.082

 5 months

0% (0/5)

15% (12/80)

1.0

Mother anemia/ID/IDA

   

 Anemia at delivery

20% (1/5)

23.1% (18/80)

1.0

 Anemia at 3 months

0% (0/5)

11.3% (9/80)

0.563

 ID at 3 months

20% (1/5)

30% (24/80)

1.0

 IDA at 3 months

0% (0/5)

5% (4/80)

1.0

Male gender

60% (3/5)

47.5% (38/80)

0.669

Exclusive breast feeding at:

   

 3 months

100% (5/5)

43.8% (35/80)

0.020

 5 months

100% (5/5)

36.3% (29/80)

0.008

Maternal age (years), mean (SD)

34.2 (3.4)

31.8 (5.1)

0.203

Infant weight (kg), median (IQR) at:

   

 Birth

3.1 (2.8–3.3)

3.1 (2.8–3.3)

0.580

 3 months

6.4 (5.5–6.6)

5.8 (5.5–6.3)

0.088

 5 months

7.2 (7.2–7.6)

6.8 (6.4–7.5)

0.520

Infant length (cm), median (IQR) at:

   

 Birth

48.0 (45.9–49.0)

48.0 (46.5–49.0)

0.486

 3 months

64.0 (59.5–64.5)

61.0 (58.7–62.4

0.209

 5 months

65.7 (64.5–67.4)

65.0 (63.5–66.9)

0.425

HC (cm), median (IQR) at:

   

 Birth

32.0 (31.8–33.3)

33.0 (32.0–34.0)

0.183

 3 months

40.5 (39.8–41.5)

40.0 (39.5–41.0)

0.431

 5 months

42.0 (41.5–43.5)

42.0 (41.0–43.0)

0.841

Change z-score, median (IQR)

Weight:

   

 0–3 months,

0.51 (-0.07–0.97)

0.05 (-0.49–0.72)

0.309

 0–5 months

0.14 (-0.16–0.85)

-0.17(-0.77–0.83)

0.360

 0–5 months

-0.13 (-0.28–-0.06)

-0.10 (-0.42–0.16)

0.647

Length:

   

 0–3 months,

1.95 (1.33–2.15)

1.15 (0.16–2.07)

0.179

 0–5 months

1.50 (0.33–2.72)

1.08 (0.15–2.14)

0.513

 3–5 months

0.17 (-1.65–0.90)

0.14 (-0.92–0.85)

0.575

HC:

   

 0–3 months,

2.33 (0.53–2.99)

0.87 (0.15–1.72)

0.130

 0–5 months

2.49 (0.32–2.88)

0.98 (0.16–1.71)

0.151

 3–5 months

-0.02 (-0.46–0.24)

-0.06 (-0.74–0.46

0.977

Weight/length:

   

 0–3 months,

-1.33 (-1.48–-0.83).

-0.95 (-1.82–-0.75)

0.863

 0–5 months

-0.98 (-2.27–0.46)

-1.13 (-1.96–-0.12)

0.602

 3–5 months

-0.64 (-1.20–-0.12)

0.01 (-1.13–0.50)

0.859

Infant Hb (g/dL), mean (SD) at:

   

 3 months

114.8 (5.3)

113.8 (8.2)

0.855

 5 months

111.8 (5.1)

119.4 (8.5)

0.029

  1. Abbreviations: RM, Ringgit Malaysia; ID, iron deficiency; IDA, iron-deficient anemia; SD, standard deviation; IQR, interquartile range; HC, head circumference; Hb, hemoglobin
  2. *Iron deficiency among mothers was defined as ferritin < 15 µg/L if CRP ≤ 5 mg/L, and ferritin < 70 µg/L if CRP > 5 mg/L. Anemia was defined as a hemoglobin < 110 g/L for in pregnant women and < 120 g/L for non-pregnant adults. 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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