RESUMO
Iron status and the impact of dietary intake were studied in Egyptian rural infants ranging in age from 6 to 24 months. Complete hemogram, serum iron, iron binding capacity, ferritin, free erythrocyte protoporphyrin [FEP] and transferrin% saturation were determined in 200 infants. 24-hour dietary recall was completed in 174 infants. 65% of infants were found to be anemic [Hb <11 g/dL] with higher prevalence in the 1st year of life. The prevalence of iron deficiency was 37.7% using FEP parameter [>100 mug/dI Rbes]. 29.5% of infants had low levels of both hemoglobin and FEP. In this study, FEP proved to be the best indicator for iron deficiency screening. The dietary intake of the studied infants was markedly less than the recommended dietary allowances [RDA]. In spite of the absence of difference between the mean values of nutritional elements between anemic and non-anemic infants, iron intake correlated with both hemoglobin and% sat. Also, vitamin C correlated with hemoglobin while the total caloric intake correlated with serum ferritin