Metabolismo y balance del hierro en el niño

Abstract

Sumario: a) Consideraciones generales, b) Absorción, c) Depósitos, d) Cantidad de hierro en el organismo del niño, e) Excreción. f) Balance del hierro, g) Indices, h) Requerimientos. i) Administración. Conclusiones. Bibliografía.

We consider the phenomenons in which iron takes part in the child’s organism, from its absorption till its elimination, that is, this mineral metabolism, and we consider, also, the relation between its intake and output, that is, the balance. The iron must be soluble and ionizable so that its absorption would be done in the moest convenient form, the ferrous one and it can be absorbed in any of the chemical forms in urgent cases, for example, in post hemorrhagic anemia. This makes us think that the absorption is a condition regulated by the organism. In addition, the quantity absorbed is subdue to several factors: normal requirement of the organism, growth, alimentation, anemias, infections, and alterations of the digestive apparatus. The most exact guides to know the normal requirement of the organism are the ferrinemia and staining index.