age for anemia screening pediatrics
A visual acuity screen is recommended at ages 4 and 5 years, as well as in cooperative 3-year-olds. screening may be used to assess risk at ages 12 and 24 months, in addition to the well visits at 3 through 5 years of age. Copyright © 2017 by the American Academy of Pediatrics, updated February 2017. No part of this statement may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior written. permission from the American Academy of Pediatrics except for one copy for personal use. Recommendations for Preventive Pediatric Health Care. Bright Futures/American Academy of Pediatrics. Download PDF. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends screening for anemia between the ages of 9 to 12 months with additional screening between the ages of 1 and 5 years for patients at risk. The screening may be universal or selective depending on the prevalence of iron deficiency anemia in the population. After age 24 months, when the growth rate of children slows and the diet becomes more diversified, the risk for iron deficiency drops (28,45,47). In children aged greater than 36 months, dietary iron and iron status are usually adequate (45,47). Determine the most common cause of iron deficiency in the United States. Describe the pathogenesis of iron deficiency. List populations at high risk for iron deficiency. Outline the common signs and symptoms of iron deficiency. Specify the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations for screening for iron deficiency. These recommendations update the 1989 CDC Criteria for Anemia in Children and Childbearing-Aged Women (MMWR 1989;38(22):400-4) and are the first comprehensive CDC recommendations to prevent and control iron deficiency. Because most anemia in children and women of childbearing age is related to iron deficiency (1), the main purpose of anemia screening is to detect those persons at increased risk for iron deficiency. Asymptomatic Children aged 6 to 12 Months. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) concludes that evidence is insufficient to recommend for or against routine screening for iron deficiency anemia in asymptomatic children aged 6 to 12 months. The USPSTF recommends routine screening for iron deficiency anemia in asymptomatic pregnant women. Because of this decline, the value of anemia as a predictor of iron deficiency has also declined, thus decreasing the effectiveness of routine anemia screening among children. In contrast, the rate of anemia among low-income women during pregnancy is high, and no improvement has been noted since the 1970s (4). Anemia is defined as a low hemoglobin (Hgb) concentration or red blood cell (RBC) mass compared with age-specific norms. Anemia may be caused by decreased RBC production, increased RBC destruction, or blood loss. Based on the size of the RBC, hematologists categorize anemia as macrocytic, normocytic, or microcytic.
Between the ages of 9 to 12 months.