Teenagers (16-18 years of age) contribute 10% of the blood supply in the United States. Teenagers require iron to grow physically and neurocognitively. Since iron deficiency is common among blood donors and the prevalence of iron deficiency in teen donors is not well known, researchers measured iron levels in 4,265 . Overall, 17% of all donations had ferritin levels less than 12 ng/mL, and 41% had ferritin levels less than 26 ng/mL. Younger age (16-18 years old), female sex, lower weight, and increased donations were all associated with iron deficiency. In multivariable analysis, teens 16-18 years old had more than twice the odds of ferritin levels less than 12 ng/mL compared to adults 19-49 years. Females aged 16-18 years were also twice as likely to be deferred for low hemoglobin compared to 19-49 year old females. Further safety measures are needed to ensure that the youngest blood donors are not depleting their iron levels.
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