ABSTRACT
Iron deciency remains the greatest single nutrient deciency worldwide despite widespread efforts to address this problem.1 While it affects individuals of all ages and classes, it disproportionately affects infants, children, and women of reproductive age.2 Global anemia prevalence rates in children range from 25.4% (school-aged) to 47.4% (preschool-aged).2 In women, the global prevalence rates are 30.2% for non-pregnant women and 41.8% for pregnant women.2 While the underlying causes of this anemia are not always immediately apparent, iron deciency is thought to contribute to at least half of the anemia prevalence worldwide. In 2002, the World Health Organization listed iron deciency anemia as one of the ten greatest global health risks with consequences of increasing morbidity and mortality in preschool-aged children and pregnant women.3 Although the highest prevalence of iron deciency is found in non-industrialized countries, it remains a problem even in industrialized areas of the world. In the United States, the latest National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data reveal a prevalence of iron deciency anemia of 7% for children between
7.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 79 7.2 Functional Consequences of Iron Deciency in Women of Reproductive Age .....................80
