![]() |
|
|

Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, England and University of Amsterdam, Emma Kinderziekenhuis, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, Netherlands; and
*
College of Health Sciences, Muhimbili University, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania; and
Department of Paediatrics, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, Netherlands
3To whom correspondence and reprint requests should be addressed. E-mail: l.j.taylor{at}liverpool.ac.uk.
The relationship of anemia as a risk factor for child mortality was analyzed by using cross-sectional, longitudinal and case-control studies, and randomized trials. Five methods of estimation were adopted: 1) the proportion of child deaths attributable to anemia; 2) the proportion of anemic children who die in hospital studies; 3) the population-attributable risk of child mortality due to anemia; 4) survival analyses of mortality in anemic children; and 5) cause-specific anemia-related child mortality. Most of the data available were hospital based. For children aged 05 y the percentage of deaths due to anemia was comparable for reports from highly malarious areas in Africa (Sierra Leone 11.2%, Zaire 12.2%, Kenya 14.3%). Ten values available for hemoglobin values <50 g/L showed a variation in case fatality from 2 to 29.3%. The data suggested little if any dose-response relating increasing hemoglobin level (whether by mean value or selected cut-off values) with decreasing mortality. Although mortality was increased in anemic children with hemoglobin <50 g/L, the evidence for increased risk with less severe anemia was inconclusive. The wide variation for mortality with hemoglobin <50 g/L is related to methodological variation and places severe limits on causal inference; in view of this, it is premature to generate projections on population-attributable risk. A preliminary survival analysis of an infant cohort from Malawi indicated that if the hemoglobin decreases by 10 g/L at age 6 mo, the risk of dying becomes 1.72 times higher. Evidence from a number of studies suggests that mortality due to malarial severe anemia is greater than that due to iron-deficiency anemia. Data are scarce on anemia and child mortality from non-malarious regions. Primary prevention of iron-deficiency anemia and malaria in young children could have substantive effects on reducing child mortality from severe anemia in children living in malarious areas.
KEY WORDS: children anemia mortality malaria iron deficiency
This article has been cited by other articles:
![]() |
H. Z. Ouedraogo, A. Zeba, M. Dramaix-Wilmet, and P. Donnen Moderate-to-Severe Anaemia due to Afebrile Plasmodium falciparum Infection in Children aged 6-23 Months from the Rural District of Kongoussi, Burkina Faso J Trop Pediatr, July 3, 2008; (2008) fmn049v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
C. O. Obonyo Transfusion of Blood Components May Improve Survival in Severe Malaria Anemia in Children Am J Trop Med Hyg, May 1, 2008; 78(5): 693 - 694. [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
C. O. Obonyo, J. Vulule, W. S. Akhwale, and D. E. Grobbee In-Hospital Morbidity and Mortality Due to Severe Malarial Anemia in Western Kenya Am J Trop Med Hyg, December 1, 2007; 77(6_Suppl): 23 - 28. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
S. C. Rodriguez, C. Hotz, and J. A. Rivera Bioavailable Dietary Iron Is Associated with Hemoglobin Concentration in Mexican Preschool Children J. Nutr., October 1, 2007; 137(10): 2304 - 2310. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
A. MORENO, A. GARCIA, M. CABRERA-MORA, E. STROBERT, and M. R. GALINSKI DISSEMINATED INTRAVASCULAR COAGULATION COMPLICATED BY PERIPHERAL GANGRENE IN A RHESUS MACAQUE (MACACA MULATTA) EXPERIMENTALLY INFECTED WITH PLASMODIUM COATNEYI Am J Trop Med Hyg, April 1, 2007; 76(4): 648 - 654. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
I. A. CARNEIRO, T. SMITH, J. P. A. LUSINGU, R. MALIMA, J. UTZINGER, and C. J. DRAKELEY MODELING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE POPULATION PREVALENCE OF PLASMODIUM FALCIPARUM MALARIA AND ANEMIA. Am J Trop Med Hyg, August 1, 2006; 75(2_suppl): 82 - 89. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
N. B. Jain, F. Laden, U. Guller, A. Shankar, S. Kazani, and E. Garshick Relation between Blood Lead Levels and Childhood Anemia in India Am. J. Epidemiol., May 15, 2005; 161(10): 968 - 973. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
A. B. Perez-Exposito, S. Villalpando, J. A. Rivera, I. J. Griffin, and S. A. Abrams Ferrous Sulfate Is More Bioavailable among Preschoolers than Other Forms of Iron in a Milk-Based Weaning Food Distributed by PROGRESA, a National Program in Mexico J. Nutr., January 1, 2005; 135(1): 64 - 69. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
T. Mebrahtu, R. J. Stoltzfus, H. M. Chwaya, J. K. Jape, L. Savioli, A. Montresor, M. Albonico, and J. M. Tielsch Low-Dose Daily Iron Supplementation for 12 Months Does Not Increase the Prevalence of Malarial Infection or Density of Parasites in Young Zanzibari Children J. Nutr., November 1, 2004; 134(11): 3037 - 3041. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
J. CRAWLEY REDUCING THE BURDEN OF ANEMIA IN INFANTS AND YOUNG CHILDREN IN MALARIA-ENDEMIC COUNTRIES OF AFRICA: FROM EVIDENCE TO ACTION Am J Trop Med Hyg, August 1, 2004; 71(2_suppl): 25 - 34. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
L. E. CAULFIELD, S. A. RICHARD, and R. E. BLACK UNDERNUTRITION AS AN UNDERLYING CAUSE OF MALARIA MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY IN CHILDREN LESS THAN FIVE YEARS OLD Am J Trop Med Hyg, August 1, 2004; 71(2_suppl): 55 - 63. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
A. Wagstaff, F. Bustreo, J. Bryce, M. Claeson, and the Who-World Bank Child Health and Poverty Workin Child Health: Reaching the Poor Am J Public Health, May 1, 2004; 94(5): 726 - 736. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
F. Trowbridge and R. Martorell Summary and Recommendations J. Nutr., April 1, 2002; 132(4): 875S - 879. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||