[Capillary hemoglobin as a predictor of the response to the oral intake of iron in children with iron deficiency].

A study was made to determine the prevalence of anemia in apparently healthy children of both sexes aged 6 to 24 months attending the preventive medicine service in a general hospital of the Mexican Social Security Institute in the city of Tapachula, State of Chiapas. One hundred children were studied with a capillary hemoglobin (Hb) determination: 91 had anemia (Hb less than or equal to 11 g/dL). Sixty eight of the anemic children received oral iron for 3 months (3 mg/kg/day): their Hb before and after iron therapy were compared. Considering as responders those with an increment in Hb greater than 1 g/dL, sixty four children (94%) showed a mean increment of 2.6 g/dL. Four were considered as non-responders: in 3 the iron supplementation was stopped due to infectious diseases; the fourth case had a Hb increment below 1 g/dL. The use of capillary Hb as a criterium for treating anemic children proved to be a good predictor of response in a population where the prevalence of iron deficiency is high.