THE SOCIODEMOGRAPHICAL AND MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF PRESCHOOL CHILDREN WITH SIDEROPENIC ANEMIA IN THE KOSOVO SAMPLE.

Although anemia remains a widespread public health problem in most developing and developed countries, there are very few studies on the prevalence and severity of anemia among school-age children. In this research we examined the socio-demographic and morphometric characteristics of Kosovar preschool children with sideropenic anemia. The prospective study was carried out at the Department of Hemato-Oncology, Pediatric Clinic, University Clinical Center of Kosovo. The study included 244 children with sideropenic anemia and 99 non-anemic controls, ranging in age from one to 72 months. Children with sideropenic anemia had a higher prevalence of positive history of mothers with anemia, had a lower RBC, HGB, HTC, MCV and Iron values compared to children without anemia (p<0.05). Children with sideropenic anemia who had hypotrophic body structure had a lighter body weight at birth, also a lower prevalence of underweight and premature birth (p<0.05). There was no statistical difference between males and females of children with sideropenic anemia on RBC count, MCV, HCT, Le, platelet, reticulocytes, and serum ferritin (p>0.05). In conclusion, we can say that almost half of the children with sideropenic anemia had their mothers with a positive history of anemia. However, there are no differences in gender base on morphologic and hematological parameters among children with sideropenic anemia.