Prevalence of Anemia among Hospitalized Children Under 5 Year-Old at Maharat Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital

Abstract

Background: Anemia is a global public health problem, especially in developing countries. It is among the five most common childhood health problems and is associated with impaired cognitive development, immune system, and brain function in children. Objective: To study the prevalence and etiology of anemia in hospitalized children under 5 years of age at Maharat Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital. Methods: A retrospective descriptive study was conducted between January and March 2021 involving children aged 6 months to 5 years hospitalized at a tertiary care hospital in northeastern Thailand. We analyzed demographic data, age, sex, disease, and hematologic parameters. Children with hemoglobin concentration less than 11 g/dL were classified as anemia. Results: One hundred seventy-four patients were enrolled in the study. The prevalence of anemia was 36.3%, with females more commonly affected than males and children in the 6-12 months, 12-24 months, and 36-48 months age groups most commonly affected (27%, 25.4%, and 19.1%, respectively). The most common condition was respiratory symptom. The severity of anemia was mild (63.5%), moderate (31.7%), and severe (4.8%). The most common cause of anemia in this study was iron deficiency anemia, which was due to inadequate dietary intake, inadequate nutrition, and inadequate oral intake of iron supplements in health promotion. Conclusions: The prevalence of anemia in this study is 36.2%, which is still higher than the country's target of less than 10%, and it was a moderate public health problem in Thailand, especially iron deficiency anemia. A health promotion campaign on iron-rich foods and prevention of iron deficiency by increasing the iron supplement dose to 1-2 mg/kg/day under a health policy program for appropriate dose of demand and consistency of intake may reduce the prevalence of anemia in the future.