The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners
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Screening for iron deficiency was offered to 485 pre-school children in one practice. A questionnaire asking for details of the child's birth, diet, medical history and social status was sent to all the families of these children. Three hundred and eleven children (64% of the total) had blood samples taken for haemoglobin concentration, mean corpuscular volume and serum ferritin levels. ⋯ As there are no ethnic minorities in the practice, dietary inadequacy was likely to be the main cause of iron deficiency. After receiving iron supplements for up to three months, all the children who were iron deficient or anaemic and attended for follow up had normalized blood values. In view of the high prevalence of iron deficiency throughout the social classes, and its association with developmental delay and behavioural disorders, screening will be offered to all children when they attend for measles, mumps and rubella immunization, and those who do not attend will be followed up.