Iron status and hemoglobin adjustment by altitude to define anemia in children aged 6 to 8 months living in Lima, Arequipa, Cusco and Puno.

OBJECTIVE.: To describe the iron status profile and to propose hemoglobin adjustment factors for altitude for children aged 6 to 8 months in Lima, Arequipa, Cusco and Puno.

MATERIALS AND METHODS.: Cross-sectional study in children aged 6 to 8 months from four cities. We measured hemoglobin and other iron biomarkers, C-reactive protein (CRP), among others. To estimate the adjustment equation, we applied an exponential regression. We excluded children with iron deficiency (ID) and/or inflammation.

RESULTS.: The proportions of ID were higher in Puno and Arequipa, while inflammation did not exceed 19% in any of the cities. Hemoglobin showed an exponential increase at higher altitude. The adjustment equation was: 10.34249 x (1.00007 ^ Alt).

CONCLUSIONS.: Children residing in Arequipa and Puno showed higher rates of ID and lower iron reserves; furthermore, the increase in hemoglobin by altitude was exponential, showing the need to adjust hemoglobin at altitude.