ETIOPATHOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF ANAEMIA IN CHILDREN – A HOSPITAL BASED STUDY.

The present study was undertaken to evaluate clinical, haematological and biochemical parameters to aid in understanding and to determine the etiopathological patterns of anaemia and their causes and various morphological types of anaemias in children.

Materials and methods:–

The present study is a cross sectional study, conducted on 600 hospitalised patients in the age group of 6 months to 12 years with anaemia and also those who presented with other complaints incidentally had haemoglobin values less than 12gm/dl.

All required haematological, biochemical tests, bone marrow examination; radiological tests were done to see the etiological and morphological type of anaemia in the study group.

Results :–

In the present study, pre–school children were found to be the most affected (45%). Nutritional diseases were seen to be most commonly associated with anaemia, followed by infectious diseases. The most common morphological type of anaemia was microcytic hypochromic anaemia(63.3%). Iron deficiency anaemia (43.3%) was the most common etiological type. HbE predominated among the haemoglobinopathies(22 out of 60) in children in this region. Iron deficiency anaemia is predominantly seen in the school going children (119 cases out of 260, i.e. 45.8%)   Anaemia due to infections is seen more in the  pre–school children (53 out of 104 cases i.e. 51%) followed by infants (33.6%). Haemoglobinopathies are more predominant in the  pre–school children (50%). Leukemia is seen more commonly in the  pre–school children ( 30   cases out of 50  cases i.e 60% ).

Conclusion:– In our study nutritional deficiency diseases are found to be the most common causes of anaemia in paediatric age group and infectious diseases are also found more commonly associated with anaemia in children. Preschool children were found to be most commonly affected, hence a compulsory screening strategy is recommended to detect anaemia in children and evaluate the aetiology to treat it early and give them a better healthy life.