Clinical nutrition: 8. The role of nutrition in the prevention of iron deficiency anemia in infants, children and adolescents.

In Canada, 4%-5% of non-Aboriginal preschool children suffer from iron deficiency anemia, compared with a prevalence of between 14% and 24% in First Nations and Inuit infants and children. Longitudinal studies have indicated that children who were anemic in early childhood continue to have poor cognitive and motor development and depressed school achievement into middle childhood. There are 3 interventions that if implemented successfully are likely to prevent anemia. These include dietary diversification to foods with more bioavailable iron; fortification of foods targeted to full-term infants and children; and supplementation of the individual. To prevent the development of anemia, the Canadian Paediatric Society and the American Academic of Pediatrics recommend exclusive breast-feeding for at least 4 months and the introduction of iron-containing complementary foods and foods containing ascorbic acid, which enhance iron absorption, at the age of 4-6 months.