EPIDEMIOLOGICAL CLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF INFANTS BELONGING TO RAMÓN LOPEZ PEÑA POLYCLINIC

Abstract

Background: among the provinces with the highest prevalence of childhood anemia is Santiago de Cuba, the Ramón López Peña polyclinic, which does not escape this problem, having a prevalence of anemia in infants greater than 30% in almost all its medical offices. Aim: to describe the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of anemia in 29 six-month-old infants belonging to the Basic Working Group No. 2 of the Ramón López Peña Polyclinic. Methods: an observational, descriptive and cross-sectional study was carried out, with 29 infants belonging to the Basic Working Group No. 2 of the Ramón López Peña Polyclinic diagnosed with anemia from January to June 2019. Variables such as sex, severity of anemia, prenatal, natal, and postnatal history; data summarized with descriptive statistics techniques such as absolute frequency and percentage, as well as the ratio for qualitative variables, through the SPSS version 15 program. Results: anemia had a high prevalence in the infants studied, more frequent in male children with 19 children (65.5%), whose mothers had anemia during pregnancy. Low birth weight was present in 4 children (13.8%), abandonment of exclusive breastfeeding before six months was found in 16 children (55.1%) and acute diseases in 6 (20.7%). Conclusions: anemia is a highly prevalent pathological process constituting an important public health problem, with infants and young children being the most at risk population. Educational interventions related to anemia and its prevention in nursing mothers are recommended.