Association of anemia with pneumonia in children up to two years attending assiut university children’s hospital

Background and objectives Anemia is one of the major health problems in young children. It may be associated with an increased risk of pneumonia in children. Aim This study aims to assess the prevalence of anemia among pneumonic children aged 2 months up to 2 years and identify the associated factors in those children. Patients and methods A cross-sectional study included 186 pediatric patients with pneumonia. The study comprised patients who visited Assiut University Children’s Hospital from January 2023 to 2024. A personal interview questionnaire was used, which included sociodemographic data, obstetric and neonatal history, pneumonia symptoms, feeding history, general examination findings, anthropometric measurements, chest examination results, complete blood count, and chest radiogrphy outcomes. Results The study involved 186 children; 40.3% were anemic, while 59.7% had normal hemoglobin levels according to their reference age and sex. Conclusion 40.3% of patients had low hemoglobin levels (anemic group). Both groups had significant differences as regards radiological data, low height, low head circumference, and low chest circumference among patients with anemia.