INCIDENCE OF IRON-DEFICIENCY ANEMIA AND DEPLETED IRON STORES AMONG 9-MONTH OLD INFANTS IN VANCOUVER, CANADA

The iron status and feeding practices of 434 infants in Vancouver were determined at 39+/-1 weeks of age. Iron-deficiency anaemia (haemoglob in less than or equal to 101 g/L, or less than or equal to 110 g/L wit h two or three abnormal results from tests of serum ferririn, zinc ery throcyte protoporphyrin and total iron binding capacity) occurred in 7 % of infants. Low iron stores (serum ferritin <10 mu g/L) occurred in about 24% of infants. Iron-deficiency anaemia was significantly associ ated (p<0.001) with duration of breastfeeding. The prevalence of iron- deficiency anaemia among infants breastfed for 8 months was 15%. At 39 weeks (9 months) of age, about 5% and 13% of the infants were bottle- fed with cows' milk or low iron infant formula, respectively, and this was also significantly associated (p<0.02) with low iron stores. Iron -fortified infant cereals had been introduced to 95% of the infants by six months of age. This study shows iron-deficiency anaemia is a prob lem among a significant number of nine-month-old infants in Canada, an d is not explained by failure to introduce iron-fortified infant cerea ls.