A nurse is planning care for a child with iron deficiency anemia. Characteristics of iron deficien-cy anemia include which of the following? (select all that apply)

a. It is most common between the ages of 6 months and 2 years.
b. It is related to gender and race.
c. It may be related to socioeconomic fac-tors.
d. It is rare among teenagers.
e. It is difficult to diagnose in early stages.

ANS: A, C, E
Iron deficiency anemia is the most common nutritional disorder of infancy and childhood, with the highest incidence occurring between 6 months and 2 years of age. Incidence is not related to gender or race, but socioeconomic factors are important because they affect nutrition. The symp-toms of mild anemia—listlessness and fatigue—usually are not present or are undetectable in in-fants and young children who are unable to describe these symptoms. Therefore, parents gener-ally do not note any change in the child's behavior or appearance until moderate anemia has de-veloped.