Bottom Line
These study results present a quandary: We cannot feel assured that a young child doesn’t have anemia if they show a normal hemoglobin level, and we can’t be sure that he or she has anemia if the hemoglobin level is low. Screening for iron deficiency in toddlers by checking serum hemoglobin misses most children with a deficiency, and most of the children with anemia do not have an iron deficiency. As the author of this study suggests, it might make more sense to continue low-dose supplementation of iron in all children rather than use a policy of screen and treat. (LOE=1c)