Define Iron requirements of school children and adolescents?
The iron requirements are also computed by factorial method and should therefore add iron requirement of maintenance, growth and increase in blood volume. The maintenance requirements are computed same as adults i.e. 14 (mg /kg BW). For children up to 12 years of age, the growth and blood expansion requirements are 15 mg/kg BW. Thus, total29 mg/kg BW is recommended till 12 years of age. Talking into account an absorption figure of 3%, the daily dietary iron requirements are computed for different body weights at different ages of growing child.
After 12 years, the increase in body mass is 4.3 kg/y in males and 4 kg/y in females. The Hb increase is also 2g/dl in males and lg/dl in females. In females, menstrual losses should be added. These considerations of growth and blood volume give a figure of 12 mg/ kg BW for boys and with menstrual 'losses added a figure of 16 mg / kg BW for girls. The basal requirements being 14 mg/kg BW; the adolescent boys need 26 mg/kg BW (12-18 years) and 30 mg/kg BW (12-18 years).