An analytical cross-sectional study on the determinants of nutritional anemia among children aged 1 to 5 years from Muzaffarnagar, India

Background: Nutritional anemia, one of the common causes of anemia, may result from the deficiency of a number of micronutrients. The present study was conducted to assess the prevalence of nutritional anemia and the clinico-haematological profile of anemia among the hospitalized children aged 1 to 5 years. Materials and Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among 250 anemic children between age one and five years attending the tertiary care hospital at Northern India. An interviewer administered questionnaire was used to obtain the data. Peripheral blood samples were used to assess the hematological parameters. Results: The prevalence of nutritional anemia among the anemic 1-5 years old children was 27.6%, in which Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) prevalence was 21.2%. Vitamin B12 deficiency was found among 8% of the anemic children and folic acid deficiency was prevalent among the 1.6% of the cases. The mean hemoglobin levels were significantly lower in among the nutritional anemia children (8.75 g/dl). Conclusion: Overall, the proportion of nutritional anemia among children aged one to five years is significant in Northern India, with IDA being the most common nutritional deficiency anemia.