Problems of iron deficiency in children and adolescents: Diagnosis, quality of life, treatment (literature review)

Abstract

About 3 billion people of various age groups in all countries of the world suffer from iron deficiency (ID) in recent years. Iron is an important component of many biochemical reactions, and its deficiency causes a number of negative outcomes. The review summarizes literature data on diagnosis, assessment of quality of life, and treatment of ID, which is one of the urgent problems of adolescence, because major changes in the body occur during puberty. A number of factors are involved in the genesis of iron deficiency: Rapid growth of the organism, chronic diseases of the digestive tract, menstrual blood loss in teenage girls. The reason of iron deficiency is also insufficient intake of it into the organism. To diagnose anemia is not difficult on the base of a decrease of hemoglobin, blood color index and hematocrit, and the presence of characteristic symptoms. Timely detection of iron deficiency in the organism makes possible to correct it and improve the child’s condition. The review includes the data of many clinical studies of ID in children and adolescents, the main laboratory criteria for diagnosis are defined. Special emphasis is placed on the effectiveness of using modern iron preparations with high clinical effectiveness and minimal side effects.