Yomna Maarouf: Should All Adolescent Girls Be Screened for Iron Deficiency?
Yomna Maarouf, Pediatrician at El Raml Pediatric Hospital (Wingat), shared a post on LinkedIn about a recent article by Jacquelyn M. Powers et al. published in Pediatrics, adding:
“A noteworthy update from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP): Universal iron deficiency screening for adolescent girls.
One recommendation that particularly caught my attention in the latest AAP Clinical Report on the prevention, screening, diagnosis, and treatment of iron deficiency is the recommendation for universal laboratory screening for iron deficiency in all female adolescents who are at least one year post-menarche, but no later than 14 years of age.
Why is this important?
Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency worldwide and often goes unnoticed.
In adolescent girls, excessive menstrual blood loss is a leading cause, and even mild iron deficiency can affect cognitive function, school performance, mood, and overall quality of life before anemia becomes severe.
The report also emphasizes continued assessment during annual well-child visits, with repeat testing based on symptoms (such as fatigue or pica) or risk factors, including heavy menstrual bleeding, low dietary iron intake, or blood donation.
As healthcare providers, timely screening allows us to identify iron deficiency early and intervene before significant complications develop.
What are your thoughts on incorporating universal iron deficiency screening into routine adolescent care?”
Title: Prevention, Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Iron Deficiency and Iron Deficiency Anemia in Infants, Children, and Adolescents: Clinical Report
Authors: Jacquelyn M. Powers, Matthew M. Heeney, Jeffrey Hord, Christoph U. Lehmann, Steven A. Abrams, George R. Buchanan
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