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More than half of the people on earth (two-thirds of those in the developing world) suffer from iron deficiency. Iron deficiency is the chief cause of anemia, although parasites and diseases such as malaria can lead to reduced iron absorption. Anemia in infants and children is associated with retardation of physical growth and impairment of cognitive development, as well as behavioral problems and reduced resistance to infections and disease. In adults, anemia causes fatigue and reduced work capacity and it is estimated that as many as one in five deaths in women giving birth are due to anemia. Children from anemic mothers tend to have low birth weight and reduced iron stores. The groups most affected by anemia are adolescent girls, women of childbearing age and children under five.
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