Iron and iodine deficiencies among under-2 children, adolescent girls, and pregnant women of Bangladesh: association with common diseases.

We examined the frequency of iron and iodine deficiencies and associations of iron and iodine deficiencies with common diseases among under-2 children, adolescent girls, and pregnant women of Bangladesh. We assayed the blood hemoglobin concentration in 395 under-2 children, 355 adolescent girls, and 263 pregnant women, the urinary iodine concentration of those adolescent girls and pregnant women, and the iodine level of all household salt specimens. The history of common diseases within their previous 2 weeks were also obtained from recall to explore the associations of iron and iodine deficiencies with common diseases. Anemia was found in 49.1% of children, 24.8% of adolescent girls, and 44.4% of pregnant women using defined cut-off values (Hb < 11.0 g/dL for under-2 children…