Characteristics of Anemia in Children Aged 6 Months to 5 Years Attending a Pediatric Hospital in Lisbon, Portugal

Childhood anemia is a serious public health issue that adversely affects cognitive and psychomotor development, impacting school performance and adult productivity. In this cross-sectional descriptive study, we characterized the profile of children aged 6 months to 5 years diagnosed with or at risk of anemia while attending consultations at a pediatric hospital in Lisbon, Portugal. We found that 33.3% (74/222) of the children were either anemic or at risk of developing anemia. The overall anemia rates based on hemoglobin levels were 54.5% for mild anemia (36/66), 34.8% for moderate anemia (23/66), and 10.6% for borderline anemia (7/66). More than half (64/70) of the children had microcytic anemia, while 8.6% (6/70) had normocytic anemia. About 40.0% (12/30) of the children had iron deficiency anemia, and 33.3 % (3/9) had sickle cell trait. Our results indicate that anemia rates were higher in male children aged 2-3 years, those whose caregivers had a low level of education, and those whose mothers were from the Community of Portuguese Language Countries. Further research, including analytical cross-sectional or longitudinal studies, is necessary to explore the impact of feeding practices, dietary habits, and socioeconomic and metabolic factors on childhood anemia.