Abstract

PITA-RODRIGUEZ, Gisela  and  JIMENEZ-ACOSTA, Santa. Iron deficiency anemia in the child population of Cuba. Gaps to be bridged. Rev Cubana Hematol Inmunol Hemoter [online]. 2011, vol.27, n.2, pp. 179-195. ISSN 1561-2996.

Anemia is a global health problem affecting both developed and developing countries. The causes of anemia may be multifactorial, and several of them are often present at the same time. The main cause of anemia is the low intake of foods with adequate sources of iron both in quantity and quality. Work is being done in Cuba since the year 1987 aimed at developing intervention programs for the prevention of iron deficiency anemia in the population, but despite the great effort, the expected impact has not been achieved, due to the combined influence of various factors. National scientific evidence shows that the low incidence of breastfeeding, the low intake of fruits and vegetables, as well as vitamin deficiency, have an influence on the prevalence of anemia in Cuba. Neither intestinal parasitism nor infection with H. pylori are associated with the prevalence of anemia in the country. Obesity and chronic inflammation would require epidemiological studies describing the potential relationships between these factors.

Keywords : Iron deficiency anemia; iron-fortified foods; inflammation; breastfeeding; parasitism; obesity; vitamins; fruits; vegetables.

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