Abstract:
Anemia is asignificant public health problem among children worldwide. The etiology of
anemia is multifactorial but iron deficiency (ID) is the most common cause of anemia in low
andmiddle-income countries. ID and anemia in infancy can impair growth and cognitive
development. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and predictors of ane
mia amongsix-week-old infants in Kwale County, Kenya. This cross-sectional study
included 424 mother-infant pairs. Structured questionnaires were administered to the moth
ers to obtain information on socio-demographic variables, maternal characteristics and birth
information. Anthropometric data was collected for each child. A heel prick was done to
measure hemoglobin andzinc protoporphyrin concentration levels. Chi-square test, bivari
ate and multivariate regression analyses were done to determine factors associated with
anemia. The prevalence of ID, anemia and IDA was 60.4% (95%CI:55.9–65.2), 21.0%
(95%CI: 17.5–25.2) and 15.8% (95%CI: 12.7–19.7) respectively. Bivariate analysis showed
that the risk of anemia was significantly higher among male infants (odds ratio (OR) = 2.20
(95%CI: 1.33–3.63), p = 0.002), iron deficient infants (OR = 2.35 (95%CI: 1.39–3.99), p =
0.001) and infants from Msambweni Sub-County (OR =2.80 (95%CI: 1.40–4.62), p<0.001).
Multivariate analysis revealed that odds of anemia were significantly higher in infants born
to mothers who didnot use iron supplements during pregnancy (adjusted odds ratio (aOR)
=74.01 (95%CI: 2.45–2238.21), p = 0.013 and significantly lower in infants born to mothers
with parity � 4 (aOR =0.05((95%CI: 0.00–0.77), p = 0.024). In six-week-old infants in rural
Kenya, anemia prevalence was 21.0% with ID accounting for 75.3% of anemia cases.
Given the physical and cognitive impairments associated with ID and anemia in early
infancy, it may be prudent to re-evaluate the current Kenyan pediatric protocols to include
anemia screening and potential treatment of infants less than 6-months of age.
