Treatment of Anemia in the Adolescent Female

Abstract

Many adolescents are at an increased risk for anemia due to their rapid growth and increasing muscle mass. However, adolescent females with heavy menstrual bleeding are at an even greater risk for anemia. Heavy menstruation in adolescent females not only has negative effects on health-related quality of life and school attendance, but also has major health implications such as iron deficiency anemia. About 75% of teen girls do not meet the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for iron, due in part to busy lifestyles, and self-imposed trendy diets.1-3 At a time in their lives when young women have an increased need for iron to compensate for menstrual blood loss and increased growth, many young women are preoccupied with body image.3 The combination of heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) and an inadequate diet frequently leads to iron deficiency in young women. DRAWBACKS OF ORAL IRON THERAPY When we developed a program for females with HMB at the Adolescent Hematology Clinic at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, anemia quickly became a very prevalent concern deTreatment of Anemia in the Adolescent Female