Clinical Preventive Services - Screening -
Metabolic, Nutritional, and Environmental Disorders -

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommendations:

Screening for iron deficiency anemia using hemoglobin or hematocrit is recommended for pregnant women and for high-risk infants. There is insufficient evidence to recommend for or against routine screening for iron deficiency anemia in other asymptomatic persons, but recommendations against screening may be made on other grounds (see Clinical Intervention). Encouraging parents to breastfeed their infants and to include iron-enriched foods in the diet of infants and young children is recommended (see also Counseling to Promote a Healthy Diet). There is currently insufficient evidence to recommend for or against the routine use of iron supplements for healthy infants or pregnant women.

• To refer to the Clinical Interventions or view the complete entry for this topic, see the Guide to Clinical Preventive Services: Second Edition (1996).