Abstract

Background: Anemia is worldwide public health issue of substantial importance. It is an ancient disease, and commonest multifactorial ailment of mankind seen all over the world. Early diagnosis of anemia in pediatric age allows preventing its complications especially in a growing period and helps to guide further management. Anemia is the most common hematologic abnormality identified in infants and children. Anemia is not a specific disease entity per se but represents a heterogeneous group of pathologic conditions. In practice, anemia is defined by hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit, or red blood cell count levels lower than the normal age- and sex-adjusted ranges. Materials and methods: A prospective study, for a period of 3 years at Department of Paediatrics, Tertiary care Teaching Hopsital was conducted after obtaining ethical committee clearance of the institute. The children who were admitted in the hospital with sign of Pallor were selected as per inclusion criteria into the study. An informed consent was taken from parents, detailed history was recorded with particular emphasis on symptoms suggestive of anaemia such as weakness and easy fatiguability, breathlessness on exertion, pica. A thorough clinical examination of every child was done. Routine Investigations for anaemia and its causes were done. Anaemia was classified morphologically based on peripheral smear findings. Hemoglobin was estimated by Sahli’s method and expressed in gm%, peripheral smear was stained by Leishman’s stain.

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