Diagnosis 54

Management 55

Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency in the world, affecting around 5 billion people, most of them from developing countries. The prevalence of iron deficiency anaemia in UK preschool children is ~8%, increasing considerably in inner city children; ~9% of under 5s in the USA are thought to be iron deficient. Depletion of iron stores is followed by the development of anaemia, initially with a normal mean cell volume (MCV). Continuing deficiency leads to impairment of erythropoiesis, with hypochromia and microcytosis apparent on blood film. Iron is essential in haemoglobin for oxygen transport, and is also found in myoglobin, and some enzymes (peroxidase, catalase, and cytochromes). Iron from red blood cell breakdown is recycled and excess iron stored as ferritin and haemosiderin....