Evaluation of an Intervention Program for the Prevention of Anemia

The purpose of the study is to determine whether improvement in the accessibility to iron supplement will decrease anemia rates in infants.

Iron deficiency anemia is the most common type of anemia in infants, children and women of reproductive age. The most frequent cause of iron deficiency in infants at 6 months of life is poor nutrition during a period of rapid growth and a diet lacking in iron rich foods. Children who suffered from anemia in infancy demonstrated slower cognitive development, were low achievers in school and had a high rate of behavioral disturbances. The Ministry of Health implements a primary prevention program for anemia. If by making iron supplements more accessible would increase parental compliance in acquisition of the iron supplement and subsequently reduce the rate of iron deficiency anemia, the result would be the immediate application of the finding. It is possible to implement a program whereby the supplement will be directly available at the family health centers for purchase by the parent.