Anemia in children aged 6 months to 6 years in Erbil city

Anemia is one of the most common health problems in the world and one of the important clinical markers of the underlying disorder. Prevalence of anemia in preschool children particularly between 6 months and 5 years (Miller et al 2003) varies in different countries e.g. 20% of children in the United States and 80% of children in developing countries have anemia (Irwin and Kirchner 2001). Causes of anemia are many but with a thorough clinical information and laboratory evaluation a specific diagnosis can usually be established. The use of the red cell volume (MCV) is a standard diagnostic approach to classify the anemia into microcytic or normocytic or macrocytic (Irwin and Kirchner 2001). The commonest type in children is microcytic anemia which is mostly due to iron deficiency which is usually caused by reduced dietary intake and increased demands in children.