Evidence grows for iron deficiency screening in childhood: U of T researchers

Two studies from U of T and the Hospital for Sick Children look at iron deficiency and suggest that Canadians would benefit from more screening programs in early childhood (Image used from source)

More screening for iron deficiency in early childhood would benefit Canadians, reveals two studies from the University of Toronto and the Hospital for Sick Children. Screening tests for iron deficiency were done in more than 700 children from the largest primary care research cohort of Canadian children, TARGet Kids!. The results showed a strong association between serum ferritin and cognitive function which increased to a certain threshold beyond which there was no improvement. This finding is important for guiding more effective clinical decisions.

The other study, “the first health-economic study of potential iron deficiency screening programs in Canada,” explored the possible cost of screening for iron deficiency in childhood. The costs for universal screening, targeted screening for high-risk groups and the current standard of care, no screening, were compared. Screening was cost-effective in general, with universal screening one third more cost-effective than targeted screening.

This article was first published on UofT News. Read the original article here.