ABSTRACT
Iron deficiency is the main cause of anemia in most settings. The association between the two is strong that anemia is often considered the most common indicator of iron deficiency. However, it is the more severe forms of iron deficiency which contribute to anemia. Iron has a number of other important roles in the developing human’s physiology apart from hematopoiesis. The ill effects of ‘subclinical’ iron deficiency are gradually being recognized and these are often categorized as functional consequences of iron deficiency in the literature. These include poor neurocognitive development, somatic growth and physical or work capacity.
