Reticulocyte Hemoglobin Content to Diagnose Iron Deficiency in Children

Abstract

Iron deficiency is one of the most common nutritional deficiencies and is the leading cause of anemia in children and adult women. According to a recent study, 700,000 children aged 1 to 2 years are iron deficient and 240,000 have iron deficiency anemia.¹ Although anemia can be reversed with iron supplementation, the alteration in cognitive performance observed in children with iron deficiency may not be fully correctable.^2-4 Early recognition of iron deficiency, even before the development of anemia, is therefore crucial to prevent the systemic complications of this disease. Such early diagnosis, by necessity, relies on laboratory testing, a strategy that is expensive and fraught with error.