[Usefulness of erythrocyte indices in the study of iron storage in infants].

For establishment correlation between erythrocyte indices and serum ferritin (SF), to identify infants at eighth months of age, with iron normal corporal stores, were studied 112 infants; 40 cases had severe deficient iron stores (SF < 12 ng/mL), 17 cases with "moderate" deficient iron stores (SF 12-20 ng/mL) and 55 infants with normal iron stores. The mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) was altered in the 40.1%, the mean corpuscular volume (MCV) 29.5% and hemoglobin (Hb) 6.2%. In severe deficient iron stores, the MCH, with abnormal values had minor specificity (0.62), that MCV (0.88). With a SF < 20 ng/mL, specificity of the MCV was 0.92. Simultaneous alteration on MCH and MCV had similar specificity (0.92) and predictive positive values. With abnormal values of CMH + MCV or MCV alone, were established high probability for identify infants with normal iron stores.