Iron Deficiency Effects and Management

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Iron Deficiency
Consequences of Iron Deficiency
Managing Iron Deficiency
Conclusion
References

Introduction

Nutritional deficiencies are a major public health concern and are risk factors to world populations. Deficiencies in iron (ID), energy-giving food, vitamins, zinc, protein, and other micronutrients are the major causes of these health problems. The most affected with ID are children, as most deaths result from nutritional deficiencies. Iron deficiency is the most widespread nutritional problem that affects all part of the population, particularly children.

Nutritional deficiencies result from inadequate intake of nutrients below the healthy or recommended levels. Generally, most people have deficiencies regarding the intake of core nutrients. This makes nutrient deficiencies common among people. Nutritional deficiencies have serious health problems. The most common nutritional deficiencies health cases include anemia, rickets, pellagra, beriberi, and osteoporosis.

Anemia occurs due to a lack of adequate iron in the body. Consequently, the body lacks enough red blood cells to transport oxygen to cells of the body. The most known symptom of anemia is fatigue.

This research focuses on iron deficiencies in the body using past studies.

Iron Deficiency

Lynch notes that screening for iron deficiency in emerging nations mainly involves hemoglobin studies (Lynch, 2011). However, hemoglobin screen alone may not be the best method because of other factors, such as age, pregnancy, smoking, gender, and ethnicity, which may influence the outcomes. Also, several factors can contribute to anemia other than iron. These may include deficiencies in vitamins A, B-12, folic acid, infections like malaria, AIDS, TB, and other inherited disorders related to erythropoiesis.

Grant and fellow researchers also make a similar observation and note that in the absence of a feasible, noninvasive gold standard, the best measure for ID is the use of multiple indicators (Grant et al., 2012). However, the challenge shall be to find an appropriate measurement tool that can replace all the multiple factors involved in iron deficiency screening. Scholars have classified ID anemia into three categories. The categories entail exhaustion of stored iron characterized by low-levels of serum ferritin, erythropoiesis ID evident from high-levels of soluble transferring receptor and zinc protoporphyrin (ZP), and ID anemia characterized by low-levels of hemoglobin.

Studies also show that regional variability is also an important factor of study in assessing an iron deficiency. For instance, Sangeetha and Premakumari note that iron deficiency anemia remains a chief public health concern in India among children (Sangeetha and Premakumari, 2010). The problem is widespread in the low-income areas of India and other Asian countries.

The ID is also prevalent in the US. However, majorities manage it with the use of iron-fortified formulas and cereals such as wheat flour. However, certain sections of the US populations face the risk of ID. These include infants, toddlers, people from poor families, and immigrants. The prevalence of ID and ID anemia has become fundamental sources of concern among low-income people.

Therefore, some health experts have called for universal screening of ID and ID anemia, especially among children between six to 12 months (Johnson, 2010). The high-levels of ID anemia among populations make the universal screening, especially among high-risk people, a positive approach for eliminating ID anemia cases. It is also imperative to start controlling ID among breast-feeding infants at the age of fourth months. Also, children should get food rich in iron.

Consequences of Iron Deficiency

With the widespread of ID in most countries, it is necessary for health policymakers to focus on ID in public. ID affects the physical capacity of people. The condition of ID is severe among pregnant women, who also risk experiencing cases of maternal morbidity and mortality. During early pregnancy, ID poses high risks of preterm delivery. Therefore, pregnant women should receive iron supplementation in forms of folic acid. Folic acid reduces the risk of postpartum bleeding, enhances birth weight, and reduces cases of childhood and neonatal mortality (Lynch, 2011).

Titaley et al. (2010) observed that women in malaria-infested areas (Sub-Saharan African countries) who got both folic and iron supplements and anti-malaria drugs during pregnancy had low cases of early neonatal mortality. Still, a study in Niger established that children born to mothers who never got iron supplements during pregnancy were most likely to experience cases of ID in their fourth month after birth. Lynch noted that ID among children could result in cases of delayed motor, mental, and emotional maturation (Lynch, 2011). Consequently, such children may have challenges with educational goals in life.

Some studies indicate that ID results in an annual productivity loss of 4.05 percent of the US GDP or $16.78 per capita (Lynch, 2011). This reflects the combined impacts on cognitive and physical activities.

Scholars have noted that associations between iron deficiency and contagious or infectious diseases are complex and need further investigation (Lynch, 2011). Nevertheless, some recent studies have indicated that children who suffered upper respiratory infections and had ID cases, took long to recover. Also, iron deficiency increases morbidity related to falciparum malaria.

Managing Iron Deficiency

Therefore, the best way of controlling anemia is to ensure that ones diet has adequate iron. One approach to controlling ID is food fortification (enrichment). Food fortification involves additional minerals or vitamins to food products (Tripathi and Kalpana, 2010). Food fortification is the most cost-effective way of providing iron to majorities in areas where ID is widespread. However, food fortification may not reach the poor masses or people who rely on subsistence methods of food production.

The WHO and FAO base fortification in three categories. First, we have the market-driven fortification of food products, which mainly consist of breakfast cereals. In these cases, the manufacturer adds minerals (usually regulated) to drive sales of products. This is mainly common in developed nations. Second, targeted fortification aims to fulfill the nutritional needs of given populations, such as infants and young children. Finally, mass fortification targets the general population and may be present in varieties of food items.

Most developing nations have introduced policies to encourage food fortification, especially staple foods. Food fortification faces technical constraints. This limits the quantity of iron added in maize or wheat flour. High contents of iron can change both the taste and color of such food items.

Supplementation is another method of providing iron to people. This involves taking iron in the form of medicine table or liquid. However, such dose may be higher than in fortified foods. Supplementation is useful in severe cases of ID. Supplementation is effective during the period of consumption, and its effectiveness may last for a few months. Therefore, pregnant women and children require supplementation due to increased requirements for vitamins and minerals.

Many studies have proved the effectiveness of supplementation. However, some studies also indicate that poor compliance with supplementation reduces the efficacy of supplementation. Also, some researchers have raised concerns about the safety of universal iron and folic acid supplementation in regions with high rates of malaria (Lynch, 2011).

Finally, dietary diversification is the most appropriate method of reducing widespread ID around the world. The major obstacle to dietary diversification is poverty, especially in emerging economies and among immigrants. Also, various people have diverse dietary preferences.

Lynch noted that biofortification, which is the use of traditional plant breeding methods or genetic engineering to improve the available iron content of staple food crops (Lynch, 2011), shall alleviate challenges in dietary diversification. This method can ensure that most people who need iron and other minerals get them. Such people usually depend on subsistence farming and cannot get or afford fortified foods. This method has been effective among Filipino women, who consumed iron biofortified rice. Biofortification requires further research and improvements to develop food crops with high quantities of vitamins and minerals.

Conclusion

This research shows that nutritional deficiencies are prevalent in both developed and developing nations at varying degrees. However, the research focuses on ID because it is the most common. Therefore, it is imperative to focus on multiple approaches when screening ID and consider other variables that affect its prevalence. Given such widespread prevalence of ID, it is necessary for health policymakers to implement and improve methods of enhancing iron status among the public to reduce the current widespread situation in a cost-effective manner. It is also necessary to consider regional differences when applying universal screening of ID.

Health experts and policymakers have focused on eliminating anemia. However, this has not been successful. As a result, extra effort is necessary through various methods of controlling ID. The research demonstrates ID is widespread but manageable with appropriate health and food policies.

References

Grant, F., Martorell, R., Flores-Ayala, R., Cole, C., Ruth, L., Ramakrishnan, U., and Suchdev, P. (2012). Comparison of indicators of iron deficiency in Kenyan children. American Society for Nutrition, 95(5), 1231-1237.

Johnson, D. (2010). Iron recommendations include directive on universal screening. American Academy of Pediatrics, 31(11), 1.

Lynch, S. (2011). Why Nutritional Iron Deficiency Persists as a Worldwide Problem. American Society for Nutrition, 141(4), 763S-768S.

Sangeetha, N., and Premakumari, P. (2010). Effect of micronutrient supplementation on the nutritional and immune status of school going children with iron deficiency anemia. International Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism, 2(3), 45-55.

Titaley, R., Dibley, J., Roberts, C., and Agho, K. (2010). Combined iron/folic acid supplements and malaria prophylaxis reduce neonatal mortality in 19 sub- Saharan African countries. Am J Clin Nutr. 92(2), 3543.

Tripathi, B., and Platel, K. (2010). Iron fortification of finger millet (Eleucine coracana) flour with EDTA and folic acid as co-fortificants. Food Chemistry, 126(2), 537- 542.

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