ALTITUDE CORRECTION FOR HEMOGLOBIN

Objective: To propose a correction for the hemoglobin (Hb) increase in duced by altitude-associated hypoxia. Design: Part of a national study of nutrition and health of preschool children (0-59 months), based on a stratified, probabilistic, cluster sample. Setting: Coastal and And ean regions of Ecuador, comprising about 97% of the population, living at altitudes ranging from sea level to 3400 m. Subjects: Subsample of 469 girls and boys, 6-59 months old, with normal iron (Fe) status par ameters, i.e serum ferritin greater than or equal to 10 mu g/l, transf errin saturation greater than or equal to 12%, zinc protoporphyrin les s than or equal to 2.8 mu g/g Hb. Results: Exponential regression curv es are adapted through the Hb values of the children, grouped by altit ude ranges, and through the data reported by Hurtado in 1945 for male adults. From these exponential curves, correction factors for Hb are d erived for altitudes ranging from sea level to 3400 m. Conclusion: The striking parallelism between the hypoxia-induced hemoglobin increase with altitude in young children (girls and boys) and that in male adul ts strongly suggests that the proposed correction factors for Hb are a pplicable for all ages and possibly both genders, at least in the Ande s. Descriptors: altitude, Andes, anemia, children, hemoglobin, hypoxia