OCCULT BLOOD LOSS IN IRON DEFICIENCY ANEMIA OF INFANCY
- 1 February 1961
- journal article
- Published by American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) in Pediatrics
- Vol. 27 (2) , 199-203
- https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.27.2.199
Abstract
Blood loss from the gastrointestinal tract was measured in 13 infants with iron deficiency anemia, using radioiron as a tracer. The radioiron was given intravenously; radioactivity in the erythrocytes and feces was measured for the following 3 to 4 weeks. The percentage of total Fe administered that was recovered in the stools varied between 0.75 and 16.4%, with a mean of 5.75%. This represents loss of whole blood in the stools varying from 7 to 107 ml, with a mean of 41 ml during the observation period. Occult blood loss from the gastrointestinal tract appears to be a significant factor in the development of iron deficiency in early childhood.Keywords
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