[Hematologic features of nutritional anemias in children].

In eighty nine anemic children, aged from 6 months to 13 years, the etiology of their anemia was studied: 67(75%) of the cases presented iron deficiency, 18(20%) iron and folate deficiency and 4 megaloblastic anemia (2 folate and 2 vitamin B12 deficiency). Patients with vitamin B12 deficiency showed severe pancytopenia and megaloblastic changes in bone marrow; but no morphological difference, either in circulating blood or bone marrow was found in patients with iron deficiency, compared to iron plus folate deficiency. The seric measurement of iron, folate and B12 were essential in order to establish the etiology of nutritional anemias. The majority of the children were accepted to the hospital for other causes than anemia, such as diarrhea (58%) and respiratory diseases (18%). Clinical features and the high incidence of anemia in children under two years of age are also discussed.