Red blood cell distribution width is not a reliable biomarker for low iron stores in children with cystic fibrosis

Low iron stores in children, absolute iron deficiency (AID), can lead to impaired neurodevelopment and requires iron therapy. In the presence of infection/inflammation, like in cystic fibrosis (CF), serum ferritin (SF) is not a reliable biomarker for AID. Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is a promising alternative reported not to be influenced by infection in healthy children. Currently, there are no data on the diagnostic capacity of RDW to detect AID in pediatric CF patients. This was a prospective observational study that investigated iron status biomarkers in 53 Dutch pediatric CF patients. AID was defined using World Health Organization criteria for SF in stable patients (no recent pulmonary exacerbation) and C-reactive protein (CRP) ≤10 mg/l. Patients with AID had higher RDW levels than patients without AID (p = 0.019). An RDW ≥13.2% showed the following test statistics: sensitivity 100%; specificity 39.4%; positive predictive value 20%; and negative predictive value 100%. Furthermore, we found a correlation between RDW and CRP in the total group that originated from the stable patients (r = 0.308; p = 0.042). In conclusion, the diagnostic capacity of RDW for detecting AID in pediatric CF patients seems limited because RDW levels might also be influenced by chronic infection/inflammation in these patients.     

Infant feeding in the second 6 months of life related to iron status: an observational study

Objective

To investigate the relationship between iron status in infancy and type of milk and weaning solids consumed.

Design

An observational cohort study.

Setting

928 term infants from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children in 1993–94.

Methods

Haemoglobin and ferritin concentrations at 8 and 12 months were assessed in relation to type and quantity of milk intake at 8 months.

Results

By WHO criteria, 22.7% of the infants were anaemic at 8 months and 18.1% at 12 months. More breast‐ than formula‐fed infants were anaemic at 8 and 12 months. Cows'' milk as the main drink was associated with increased anaemia at 12 months and low ferritin at 8 and 12 months. No association was found between any nutrients and haemoglobin concentrations. Protein and non‐haem iron intakes were positively associated with ferritin concentrations and calcium intake negatively. This effect was more marked in infants being fed cows'' milk. More than 25% of infants in the breast milk and cows'' milk groups and 41% of infants having >6 breast feeds per day had iron intakes below the lower reference nutrient intake. Feeding cows'' milk or formula above 600 ml or >6 breast feeds per day was associated with lower intakes of solids.

Conclusions

Both breast and cows'' milk feeding were associated with higher levels of anaemia. Satisfactory iron intake from solids in later infancy is more likely if formula intake is <600 ml per day and breast feeds are limited to <6 feeds per day. Cows'' milk should be strongly discouraged as a main drink before 12 months.     

Iron status of young Vietnamese children in Australia

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of iron deficiency in Vietnamese children living in Australia and to identify risk factors associated with iron deficiency. METHODS: A cohort of healthy term Vietnamese infants, were followed from birth (n = 210) to 18 months (n = 174) with anthropometry, dietary intake and feeding practices measured at seven time points. Socio-demographic data were collected from the parents at the first home visit. At 18 months iron status was examined by full blood count and plasma ferritin concentration in 129/152 (85%) of the eligible children. Iron depletion was defined as a plasma ferritin level < 10 microg/L. Iron deficiency without anaemia was defined as iron depletion plus MCV < 70fl and iron deficiency anaemia was defined as iron deficiency anaemia plus Hb < 110 g/L. RESULTS: The prevalence of iron deficiency was iron depletion 19.4% (95% CI: 13.0%, 27.3%), iron deficiency without anaemia 3.1% (95% CI: 0.9%, 7.8%) and iron deficiency anaemia 3.9% (95% CI: 1.3%, 8.8%). Multiple regression analysis showed three significant predictors of iron deficiency: cows milk intake (negative effect), meat, fish or poultry intake (positive effect) and weight gain (negative effect). A cows milk intake > or = 650 mL/day was a risk factor for iron deficiency. CONCLUSION: Prevalence of iron deficiency at 18 months was high despite appropriate infant feeding practices during the first year. Modification of the diet in the second year of life may decrease the risk of iron deficiency in Vietnamese children.     

Predicting iron status in low birthweight infants

OBJECTIVE: To determine the iron status of a selected group of low birthweight infants at approximately 9 months of age, and examine the feasibility of predicting iron status by examining the history of supplementary iron intake. METHODS: All live low birthweight infants recorded in the Dunedin Hospital Queen Mary Maternity Unit birth register who reached 9 months of age between November 1995 and September 1996 were eligible to participate. Infants were categorized into 'high' or 'low' iron intake groups depending on their consumption of infant formula or medicinal iron for one month prior to the study, and their iron status compared. RESULTS: Eighty-one infants of 73 mothers, with an average age of 10 months (range 8-13 months), participated. Thirty-three per cent (n = 27) were iron deficient: 19% (n = 15) had latent iron deficiency and 15% (n = 12) had iron deficiency anaemia. Those with a 'low' iron intake were 13-fold more likely to be iron deficient than infants with a 'high' iron intake (95% confidence interval: 4.4-41.5). Screening for iron deficiency using categories based on supplementary iron intake had a positive predictive value of 66% and a negative predictive value of 88%. CONCLUSIONS: The risk of iron deficiency was considerably greater for infants who had not received supplementary iron daily over the course of the previous month. Current preventative methods for avoiding poor iron status in this group of high risk infants are not effective. Screening for iron deficiency in low birthweight infants on the basis of iron intake from infant formula or medicinal iron provides a useful method for identifying infants whose iron status should be investigated.     

采集母乳与母乳库母乳喂养对早产儿生长发育的影响

采集母乳与母乳库母乳可以作为早产儿在无法获得直接母乳喂养时可选择的一种喂养方式.目前文献提示,单纯以采集母乳与母乳库母乳喂养的早产儿生后短期内生长要慢于早产儿配方乳喂养,对早产儿远期生长的影响尚不明确;但采集母乳与母乳库母乳喂养可供给早产儿一定量的人乳特有成分,有利于早产儿神经发育,并减少坏死性小肠结肠炎、喂养不耐受等喂养相关并发症的发生.采集母乳与母乳库母乳的临床广泛应用还面临一些亟待解决的问题,将来的研究应更多关注于对早产儿远期生长发育的影响.     

Lack of plasma leptin response to feeding in newborn infants

Objective:   Previous reports of the postprandial regulation of leptin are controversial, and there have been few studies on the effects of breast-feeding on postprandial regulation in newborn infants. We examined the response of plasma leptin to breast- and formula-feeding in newborn infants.
Methods:   We measured the plasma leptin levels using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit before and after feeding in 12 breast-fed and 11 formula-fed mature infants.
Results:   There was no significant difference in plasma leptin levels in breast-fed infants before and after feeding or in artificially fed infants before and after feeding.
Conclusion:   Our results suggest that feeding does not play a role in the acute response of circulating leptin levels in either breast- or formula-fed infants.     

出生3个月内婴儿的碘营养状态及其对早期生长发育的影响

目的了解出生3个月内婴儿的碘营养状态及其对早期生长发育的影响。方法在非碘缺乏地区的上海随机选取122名出生3个月内的婴儿(母乳喂养儿68名,配方乳喂养儿54名)进行观察性研究。分别于婴儿日龄42d和90d时测定其母乳或配方乳及婴儿尿中的碘浓度,并对婴儿进行身长、体重和头围测量,婴儿90d时行Gesell智力发育评估。结果①42d和90d时婴儿尿碘浓度(中位数)分别为161.0μg/L和184.1μg/L;②母乳和配方乳喂养婴儿在42d和90d日龄时的尿碘浓度(中位数)分别为197.9μg/L、115.4μg/L和219.2μg/L、140.1μg/L;尿碘浓度低于100μg/L的比例分别为12.0%、42.4%和4.4%、33.6%;③母乳和配方乳的乳碘浓度(中位数)分别为109.1μg/L和88.9μg/L,均与婴儿尿碘浓度呈正相关(r=0.523,0.696);④出生3个月内不同碘营养状态的婴儿在体格和智能发育方面差异均无统计学意义。结论①部分婴儿存在碘营养不足或过多,应加强对婴儿碘营养状态的监测;②母乳喂养婴儿的碘营养状态优于配方乳喂养的婴儿,积极鼓励母乳喂养;③出生3个月内不同碘营养状态婴儿间的体格和智能发育尚未见明显差异,有待进一步随访观察。     

Early deterioration of iron status among a cohort of Bolivian infants

Iron deficiency (ID) and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) are major contributors to infant and maternal morbidity worldwide. There is limited longitudinal data on iron status in young infants and on methods to adjust iron biomarkers for inflammation. We aimed to quantify the prevalence of inflammation‐adjusted ID, anemia, and IDA over the first year in a cohort of Bolivian infants and their mothers. Healthy mother‐infant dyads were recruited from two peri‐urban hospitals. Infants provided three blood draws (2, 6–8, and 12–18 months; N = 160); mothers provided two blood draws (1 and 6–8 months postpartum [plus third anemia measurement at 12–18 months]; N = 250). Blood was analyzed for hemoglobin, ferritin, soluble transferrin receptor, C‐reactive protein (CRP), and alpha(1)‐acid glycoprotein (AGP). Iron biomarkers were adjusted for inflammation using CRP and AGP; hemoglobin cutoffs were adjusted for altitude. Inflammation (elevated CRP or AGP) was 17% among toddlers 12–18 months of age. ID (inflammation‐adjusted ferritin) increased with age (<1%, 56%, and 79% at each blood draw), as did anemia and IDA (anemia: 70%, 76%, and 81%; IDA: <1%, 46%, and 68%). Maternal ID declined from the first to second assessment (39% vs. 27%). Inflammation‐adjusted ID prevalence was up to 15 percentage points higher than unadjusted estimates. The high prevalence of ID, anemia, and IDA in this cohort of Bolivian infants beginning at 6–8 months of age suggests that early interventions may be necessary in vulnerable populations.     

Most reliable indices in differentiation between thalassemia trait and iron deficiency anemia

BACKGROUND: Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and thalassemia trait (TT) are the most common forms of microcytic anemia. Some discrimination indices calculated from red blood cell indices are defined and used for rapid discrimination between TT and IDA. However, there has been no study carried out in which the validity of all of the defined indices are compared in the same patient groups. Youden's index is the most reliable method by which to measure the validity of a particular technique, because it takes into account both sensitivity and specificity. METHODS: We calculated eight discrimination indices (Mentzer Index, England and Fraser Index, Srivastava Index, Green and King Index, Shine and Lal Index, red blood cell (RBC) count, red blood cell distribution width and red blood cell blood distribution width index (RDWI)) in 26 patients with IDA and in 37 patients with beta TT (betaTT). We determined the number of correctly identified patients by using each discrimination index. We also calculated sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value and Youden's index of each discrimination index. RESULTS: None of the discrimination indices showed a sensitivity and specificity of 100%. Youden's indices of RBC count and RDWI were the highest with the value of 82 and 80%, respectively. Ninety percent and 92% of the patients were correctly identified with RBC and RDWI, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Red blood cell count and RDWI are the most reliable discrimination indices in differentiation between betaTT and IDA.     

Plasma gastrin and somatostatin levels in newborn infants receiving supplementary formula feeding

Plasma gastrin and somatostatin concentrations were measured by radioimmunoassay in exclusively formula-fed infants and in breast-fed infants receiving supplementary formula during the first five postnatal days. Infants exclusively formula fed had a progressive increase in mean plasma gastrin concentration from 109±42 pmol/l (mean±SD) on the first day to 236±103 pmol/l on the fifth day after birth ( p = 0.0001). Breast-fed infants receiving supplementary formula had similar hormone concentrations as formula-fed infants of corresponding postnatal age and they also had a significant increase in hormone levels from the first to the fifth day ( p = 0.0001). A positive relationship was found between gastrin concentration and ingested milk volume: Rs = 0.51, n = 105, p = 0.0001. The high gastrin concentrations most probably reflect enhanced hormonal release from the gastrin-producing cells in response to increasing volumes of milk ingested by the infant. The mean plasma somatostatin concentration on the first day after birth was 18 ± 6 pmol/l. No significant change occurred during the first five postnatal days, independent of feeding type.     

血常规指标对儿童铁缺乏的预测作用

目的探讨血常规指标在筛查儿童铁缺乏中的预测价值。方法回顾性分析2017年6月至2019年5月浙江大学医学院附属儿童医院1443名6月龄~18岁健康体检儿童(男862名、女581名)的血常规指标及血清铁蛋白(SF)水平。以SF<20μg/L为铁缺乏判断依据,同时伴有贫血(6月龄~5岁血红蛋白<110 g/L,6~18岁血红蛋白<120 g/L)为缺铁性贫血(IDA)组:SF<20μg/L同时排除贫血为无贫血铁缺乏组,SF≥20μg/L合并贫血者为铁状态不明贫血组,SF≥20μg/L无贫血者为健康对照组。定量资料以±s或M(四分位间距)描述,组间比较应用方差分析或非参数秩和检验分析,并应用受试者工作特征曲线(ROC)分析血常规指标及低血红蛋白密度百分比(LHD)对IDA及铁缺乏的预测价值。结果1443名儿童年龄2.1(3.3)岁,健康对照组1061例,无贫血铁缺乏组292例,铁状态不明贫血组43例,IDA组47例。铁缺乏发生率高于贫血发生率[23.5%(339/1443)比6.2%(90/1443),χ2=169.76,P<0.01]。无贫血铁缺乏组LHD、红细胞分布宽度(RDW)均高于健康对照组[0.088(0.093)比0.073(0.068),0.131±0.013比0.126±0.008,P均<0.01],平均红细胞体积(MCV)、平均血红蛋白浓度(MCHC)均低于健康对照组[(80±4)比(83±4)fl,(326±9)比(329±8)g/L,P均<0.01];IDA组LHD[0.322(0.544)]、RDW(0.151±0.018)均高于无贫血铁缺乏组,MCV[(73±6)fl]、MCHC[(309±14)g/L]均低于无贫血铁缺乏组(P均<0.01)。MCHC、LHD、RDW、MCV预测铁缺乏的曲线下面积(AUC)分别为0.63(95%CI:0.60~0.67)、0.63(95%CI:0.60~0.67)、0.67(95%CI:0.63~0.70)和0.73(95%CI:0.69~0.76)。以MCV<80.2 fl、RDW>0.131或MCHC<322 g/L为界值,筛查铁缺乏的灵敏度分别为0.540、0.469和0.336,均高于血红蛋白筛查铁缺乏的灵敏度(0.139,χ2=121.70、87.47、35.56,P均<0.01)。结论血常规中MCV、RDW、MCHC均可作为铁缺乏的筛查指标,简便易于基层推广。     

Relationship of feeding modality to clinical features in Japanese infants with idiopathic neonatal hepatitis of the non-familial form

To clarify the relationship between idiopathic neonatal hepatitis and feeding type, that is, formula-milk feeding and breast-milk feeding, the medical records of 100 patients (68 male and 32 female babies) with idiopathic neonatal hepatitis of non-familial form referred to the medical centers of Akita University and Tohoku University during the past 18 years were reviewed. The patients were divided into two 9 year periods (1975–83 and 1984–92), and their clinical features were analyzed in terms of feeding type and sex. The number of patients enrolled decreased from 69 in the first half to 31 in the second half. The number of male patients dropped from 53 to 15, although the number of female patients (n = 16) remained the same in both 9 year periods. The frequency of formula-milk feeding significantly decreased in the second half (42/69 to 6/31, P < 0.01). Compared with the expected numbers of patients in the second half, calculated on the changes in the live birth population and feeding modality between the two halves, the actually enrolled numbers of patients in the second half were less in both the male and the formula-milk fed groups (× 0.35 and × 0.22), whereas the numbers of female and breast-milk feeding groups were close to the expected values (× 1.26 and × 1.08). When sex and feeding modality were combined, the formula-milk fed male group showed the lowest value (× 0.10), and the breast-milk fed female group showed the highest value (× 2.85). In conclusion, feeding type, especially in combination with gender, might be one causative factor in the occurrence of idiopathic neonatal hepatitis.     

Dietary iron intake and iron status in adolescents

The aim of this study was to evaluate the dietary iron intake of 15-year-old adolescents from two different regions of Sweden, in relation to their iron status. The study comprised 185 boys and 209 girls, randomly selected from the official population register. The iron intake was calculated from a 7-day record, and varied between 7 and 35 and 6 and 27 mg per day for boys and girls, respectively. The daily median intakes in boys and girls were 18.7 and 14.2 mg, respectively. S-ferritin, s-iron, and s-transferrin saturation, measured in all the subjects, did not differ significantly between the two regions. However, the mean serum ferritin concentration was significantly higher in the boys (36.4μgl^-1) than in the girls (29.4μgl^-1)( p < 0.001). Low s-ferritin levels, defined as s-ferritin < 12 μgl^-1 were found in seven boys (3.7%) and in 29 girls (13.9%). None of the adolescents had iron deficiency anaemia, defined as Hb< 110gl^-1 in combination with s-ferritin < 12μgl^-1. Regression and correlation analyses did not show any significant correlation between dietary iron intake and s-ferritin, or between s-ferritin and haemoglobin (Hb), MCH and MCHC. A significant correlation was found, however, between s-ferritin and transferrin saturation ( p < 0.005) in both sexes. When the adolescents who still had s-ferritin < 12μgl^-1 at a second blood examination were given a 6 weeks trial with oral iron therapy, all of them showed an increase both in s-ferritin and in blood Hb. The 95% confidence intervals of s-ferritin for 15-year-old Swedish boys and girls were defined as 11-90 and 7 85 μ.gl^-1, respectively.     

Very low prevalence of iron deficiency among young French children: A national cross‐sectional hospital‐based survey

Although iron deficiency (ID) is considered the most frequent micronutrient deficiency in industrialized countries and is associated with impaired neurodevelopment when occurring in early years, accurate recent estimations of its prevalence are lacking. Our objective was to estimate ID prevalence and associated sociodemographic markers in young children in France. The Saturn‐Inf national cross‐sectional hospital‐based survey recruited 3,831 French children <6 years old between 2008 and 2009 to assess lead poisoning prevalence and to establish a biobank. This secondary analysis measured serum ferritinemia (SF) in sera kept frozen at ?80 °C for children with sufficient serum aliquots and C‐reactive protein <10 mg/L. For the 657 participating children (17% of the Saturn‐Inf study), the median age was 3.9 years (interquartile range: 2.2–5.1); 52% were boys. The median SF was 44 μg/L (interquartile range: 28–71). ID prevalence was 2.8% (95% confidence interval [1.7, 4.7]) and 3.2% (95% confidence interval [2.0, 5.1]) with an SF threshold of 10 and 12 μg/L, respectively. Low SF was significantly associated (p < .05) with mother being a migrant (32 vs. 45 μg/L for a mother born in France) or unemployed (37 vs. 50 μg/L for a mother employed). In this first national cross‐sectional hospital‐based study in France, ID prevalence was much lower than that in other French and European studies performed in underprivileged populations but close to the lowest values observed in other population‐based studies in Europe.     

汉中市儿童、孕妇铁缺乏症流行病学调查研究分析

目的调查了解儿童、妇女铁减少(ID)、缺铁性贫血(IDA)及铁缺乏症(IDD)患病率。方法随机抽取汉中市城区7月～7岁儿童532名,30岁以下妊娠38周以内孕妇203名,30岁以下未孕育龄妇女200名为调查对象。检测了血红蛋白(Hb)、锌原卟啉(ZPP)、血清铁蛋白(SF)等指标。结果7个月～7岁儿童ID平均43.80%,IDA平均9.96%。其中7个月～12个月婴儿ID71.67%,IDA22.50%;3个月～36个月幼儿ID33.13%,IDA8.13%;37个月～7岁儿童ID37.30%,IDA5.16%。孕妇ID平均82.17%,IDA平均37.93%。其中早孕组ID75.91%,IDA14.46%,中孕组ID77.14%,IDA51.43%;晚孕组ID100.00%,IDA58.00%。未孕育龄妇女ID49.50%,IDA25.00%。儿童ID、IDA不同年龄组有显著差异(P<0.01),即年龄越小、患病率越高。孕妇孕龄组之间有显著性差异(P<0.01)。即孕龄越大,患病率越高。孕妇ID、IDA患病率与育龄妇女有显著性差异(P<0.01)。孕妇患病率明显高于育龄妇女。不同年龄组儿童、不同孕期孕妇及育龄妇女ID患病率均大于IDA患病率。结论本市儿童、孕妇、育龄妇女铁缺乏症比较普遍,ID、IDA患病率均高于国外和全国平均水平。隐性缺铁十分严重,已成为营养性铁缺乏症的主要问题。婴幼儿和晚期孕妇是铁缺乏症高发人群。     

汉中市儿童、孕妇铁缺乏症流行病学调查研究分析

目的 调查了解儿童、妇女铁减少（ID）、缺铁性贫血（IDA）及铁缺乏症（1DD）患病率。方法 随机抽取汉中市城区7月～7岁儿童532名，30岁以下妊娠38周以内孕妇203名，30岁以下未孕育龄妇女200名为调查对象。检测了血红蛋白（Hb）、锌原卟啉（ZPP）、血清铁蛋白（SF）等指标。结果7个月～7岁儿童ID平均43．80％，IDA平均9．96％。其中7个月～12个月婴儿ID71．67％．IDA22．50％：3个月～36个月幼儿ID33．13％，IDA8．13％；37个月～7岁儿童ID37．30％，IDA5．16％。孕妇ID平均82．17％，IDA平均37．93％。其中早孕组ID75．91％，IDA14．46％，中孕组ID77．14％，IDA51．43％；晚孕组ID100．00％，IDA58．00％。未孕育龄妇女ID49．50％．IDA25．00％。儿童ID、IDA不同年龄组有显著差异（P〈0．01），即年龄越小、患病率越高。孕妇孕龄组之间有显著性差异（P〈0．01）。即孕龄越大，患病率越高。孕妇ID、IDA患病率与育龄妇女有显著性差异（P〈0．01）。孕妇患病率明显高于育龄妇女。不同年龄组儿童、不同孕期孕妇及育龄妇女ID患病率均大于IDA患病率。结论本市儿童、孕妇、育龄妇女铁缺乏症比较普遍，ID、IDA患病率均高于国外和全国平均水平。隐性缺铁十分严重，已成为营养性铁缺乏症的主要问题。婴幼儿和晚期孕妇是铁缺乏症高发人群。     

Iron status of children in southern Sweden: effects of cow's milk and follow-on formula

AIM: The objective of the study was to investigate iron status in children in relation to intake of cow's milk and follow-on formula. METHODS: In all, 367 healthy 2.5-y-old children were enrolled in the study. The amounts of cow's milk and formula consumed were recorded. B-haemoglobin, S-ferritin, S-iron, total iron binding capacity and mean corpuscular volume were analysed. RESULTS: Seven percent of the children had iron deficiency anaemia (Hb <110g/l) and 10% had S-ferritin < 12 microg/l. Furthermore, 10% of the children were iron deficient, with or without anaemia. Children with iron deficiency had a higher intake of cow's milk (382 ml, 95% confidence interval (CI) 294-496, vs. 257 ml, CI 232-272, p < 0.0001), and fewer consumed follow-on formula (11% vs. 43%, p= 0.0002) compared to those with sufficient iron. CONCLUSION: Iron deficiency is still common during childhood in Sweden. Intake of cow's milk is significantly higher in children with iron deficiency. In contrast, iron deficiency is less frequent among those consuming follow-on