Epidemiological, Clinical and Hematological Profile of Anemia in Children in a Hospital Setting in Dakar

Introduction: Anemia is a major public health problem in Senegal. This study aimed to determine the hospital prevalence and describe the epidemiological, clinical and etiological profile of anemia in children admitted to the pediatric department of the Centre Hospitalier National Dalal Jamm, located in the Dakar suburbs. Patients and Methods: This is a retrospective, descriptive and analytical study conducted from January 1 to December 31, 2022. It included all children aged 2 months to 15 years hospitalized in the general pediatric unit who received a complete blood count. Data were analyzed using Excel and Power Query software, with a significance threshold set at p < 0.05. Results: Out of 310 collected files, 107 patients presented with anemia, representing a hospital prevalence of 34.5%. The mean age was 56.75 ± 48.23 months, with a predominance of the 60 to 143 months age group (34.58%). The sex-ratio was 1.61. Parental consanguinity was found in 26.17% of cases. Clinically, fever (27.1%) and tachycardia (72.90%) were the predominant signs. Acute malnutrition affected 14.96% of patients and the most frequent associated pathologies were acute gastroenteritis and pneumonia (9.35% each). Biologically, the mean hemoglobin level was 8.52 ± 1.97 g/dL, and the median was 9 g/dL. Anemia was moderate in 50.47% of cases and severe in 27.10% and the hypochromic microcytic type was largely predominant (62.62%). The most frequent etiologies were sickle cell disease (14.02% of new admissions and 17.2% of patients previously followed) and iron deficiency. A significant association was established between the severity of anemia and its etiology (p = 0.000). Conclusion: Anemia is frequent in peri-urban hospital settings, characterized by a predominance of microcytic forms and a strong link between severity and terrain (sickle cell disease, malaria). Strengthening the screening of hemoglobinopathies and iron deficiency is necessary to improve both curative and preventive management.