Assessment of Iron Deficiency Anemia in Toddlers and Remediation Advice

Abstract

In USA, iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is very common among toddlers. This study hypothesized from initial observation at Cumming Pediatric Group clinic that most of the toddlers in the community suffer from IDA and their parents are often unaware. The objective of the study was to conduct random survey among parents of the toddlers, understand and analyze the causes of IDA, and develop an IDAawareness handout to benefit the parents in the community. At random 33 parents were interviewed. After a thorough literature review, a one-page survey questionnaire was developed with questions related to the toddlers’ daily food habits, type of food, and milk consumption rate. Findings from the survey responses were compared with the corresponding child’s complete blood count lab values obtained from the clinic records to identify if the child is at IDA risk. The participant’s responses (input parameters) along with the output parameter (IDA or no-IDA) were coded numerically, e.g., 1 for ‘NO’ and ‘2’ for ‘YES,’ etc. A multiple regression model was developed with the Analysis ToolPak of MS-Excel. The analysis summary output was analyzed using statistical parameters such as, ‘R²’ and ‘P-value.’ After obtaining established correlation as final report, a handout was developed for IDA awareness with causes, symptoms, remedial measures, and healthcare support details.