Iron deficiency prevalence and dietary patterns by school district in Istanbul

Association between Serum Iron, Serum Ferritin Levels, and Severe Early Childhood Caries: A Case-Control Study

Aim

The presence of extensive dental caries leads to pain, inflammation, and discomfort and hence interferes with their nutritional intake, which includes iron deficiency anemia. This study was undertaken to determine whether any correlation exists between severe early childhood caries (S-ECC), serum iron, and serum ferritin levels in children.

Materials and methods

A total of 688 children were examined in the age-group of 2-6 years, and 82 children who fulfilled the selection criteria were equally divided into group I, that is, case group (carious group n = 41) and group II, that is, control group (caries-free group n = 41), on the basis of decayed, missing, and filled primary teeth (dmft) scores. All the selected children in both groups underwent blood investigations through phlebotomy for assessment of serum iron and serum ferritin levels.

Results

The mean values of variables, that is, hemoglobin (Hb), serum iron, serum ferritin, total iron-binding capacity (TIBC), and unsaturated iron-binding capacity (UIBC), are lower in the case group when compared to control group. The differences observed were statistically significant in case of dmft and UIBC values at p < 0.05 but not significant in cases of other variables like Hb, serum iron, serum ferritin, and TIBC values.

Conclusion

An inverse relationship was found between S-ECC, serum iron, and serum ferritin levels, but the evidence is still inconclusive.

How to cite this article

Atri Y, Garg N, Pathivada L, et al. Association between Serum Iron, Serum Ferritin Levels, and Severe Early Childhood Caries: A Case-Control Study. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2023;16(S-3):S288-S292.

Socio-economic determinants of micronutrient intake and status in Europe: a systematic review

OBJECTIVE

To provide the evidence base for targeted nutrition policies to reduce the risk of micronutrient/diet-related diseases among disadvantaged populations in Europe, by focusing on: folate, vitamin B12, Fe, Zn and iodine for intake and status; and vitamin C, vitamin D, Ca, Se and Cu for intake.

DESIGN

MEDLINE and Embase databases were searched to collect original studies that: (i) were published from 1990 to 2011; (ii) involved >100 subjects; (iii) had assessed dietary intake at the individual level; and/or (iv) included best practice biomarkers reflecting micronutrient status. We estimated relative differences in mean micronutrient intake and/or status between the lowest and highest socio-economic groups to: (i) evaluate variation in intake and status between socio-economic groups; and (ii) report on data availability.

SETTING

Europe.

SUBJECTS

Children, adults and elderly.

RESULTS

Data from eighteen publications originating primarily from Western Europe showed that there is a positive association between indicators of socio-economic status and micronutrient intake and/or status. The largest differences were observed for intake of vitamin C in eleven out of twelve studies (5-47 %) and for vitamin D in total of four studies (4-31 %).

CONCLUSIONS

The positive association observed between micronutrient intake and socio-economic status should complement existing evidence on socio-economic inequalities in diet-related diseases among disadvantaged populations in Europe. These findings could provide clues for further research and have implications for public health policy aimed at improving the intake of micronutrients and diet-related diseases.

Relationship between dental caries status and anemia in children with severe early childhood caries

Severe early childhood caries (SECC) is a public health problem among preschool children. Malnutrition is a condition commonly prevalent in children with SECC. This study investigated the nutritional status among preschool children with SECC. Children with SECC (n = 101) aged 2-5 years from the Division of Pediatric Dentistry in an academic hospital in Southern Taiwan were recruited for our cross-sectional study. The nutritional status of the children was assessed based on anthropometric measurements and clinical tests. By applying the criteria established by the World Health Organization, we found that 9% and 46% of the children with SECC were diagnosed as being anemic and iron deficient, respectively. Using national standards for the body mass index, 30% of children with SECC were classified as underweight. The relationship between the caries status of the children and anemia was examined using multivariable logistic regression analysis (p < 0.05). Our results show that SECC is strongly associated with anemia (7.25-fold), indicating that clinicians and dentists should provide treatment to improve both the oral hygiene and the nutritional status of children with SECC.