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Development of a non-invasive method to screen for anaemia in children aged 18-24 months and effects of cow's milk on non-haem iron bioavailability in children aged 12-17 months

Farrar, Juliet Muriel Claire; (2002) Development of a non-invasive method to screen for anaemia in children aged 18-24 months and effects of cow's milk on non-haem iron bioavailability in children aged 12-17 months. Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London). Green open access

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Abstract

This thesis seeks to provide data to answer two important questions about iron deficiency anaemia in young children: how can IDA be detected in the community and what dietary advice should be given to correct the deficiency? Study 1: Development of a non-invasive test for detecting anaemia in young children. The aim of this study was to investigate whether variables identified as independently predictive of anaemia (Hb<11.0g/dl) could be combined into a questionnaire and used to correctly discriminate between anaemic and non-anaemic children as a screening tool. Method. Blood samples, anthropometric, dietary and socio-economic data were collected from 171 children. Results & Conclusions. Six variables were predictive of anaemia. None of the variables either alone or in combination had adequate sensitivity or specificity to be acceptable as a first stage screening test. Furthermore, none of the tests met the World Health Organisation's criteria for a test used in a screening programme. Study 2: Effect of cow's milk on non-haem iron bioavailability in young children. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a drink of cow's milk on non-haem iron bioavailability from a meat based meal. Method. Twelve children consumed test meals with iron stable isotopes and either water or cow's milk. Capillary blood samples taken 14 days after the last test meal were analysed by thermal ionising mass spectrometry (TIMS). Non-haem iron bioavailability was estimated by calculating percentage incorporation of the isotopes into erythrocytes. Results & Conclusions. The results could not be interpreted because of technical problems. Failure to obtain reliable results appears due to a) low isotopic enrichment of the blood samples, b) small samples and poor sub-sampling and c) failures in sample preparation for TIMS. Overall conclusions: Screening for IDA using a questionnaire does not appear to be a useful alternative to blood tests in young children. Dietary advice based on scientific evidence of improved iron bioavailability is likely to be successful in preventing and correcting iron deficiency in children and further work in this area is required.

Type: Thesis (Doctoral)
Qualification: Ph.D
Title: Development of a non-invasive method to screen for anaemia in children aged 18-24 months and effects of cow's milk on non-haem iron bioavailability in children aged 12-17 months
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
Language: English
Additional information: Thesis digitised by ProQuest.
Keywords: Health and environmental sciences; Anemia
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10100295
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