Iron deficiency anemia status in children 6 – 24 months with pneumonia at the pediatrics department of Green Hospital

Abstract

Background: Pneumonia was the leading cause of death in children under 5 years old. Anemia (especially iron deficiency anemia) was the most common comorbidity in pediatric patients coming to the hospital for examination and treatment, which could be a risk factor for infectious diseases including pneumonia. Objective: To determine the rate of iron deficiency anemia in children aged 6-24 months with pneumonia, the relationship between iron deficiency anemia and pneumonia in children. Method: Cross-sectional descriptive study on 120 patients (60 children aged 6-24 months with pneumonia and 60 controls) coming to the Pediatrics Department of Green International Hospital - Hai Phong for examination and treatment from October 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023. Results: The rate of anemia in the patient group was 40% (of which 83% had iron deficiency anemia). Meanwhile, the rate of anemia in the control group was 21.67%, lower than that in the patient group (p < 0.05). At the same time, the study showed that iron deficiency anemia increased the risk of pneumonia in children with OR = 2.37; p = 0.045. Conclusion: The rate of iron deficiency anemia was quite high in children aged 6 months - 24 months (patient group and control group were 36.7% and 19%, respectively). Iron deficiency anemia increased the risk of pneumonia by 2.37 times compared to children without anemia, and anemia also increased the frequency of recurrent pneumonia.