Question

Hb of less than what value is the cut-off used by WHO guidelines to label an infant under 6 months of age as being anemic?

• A. 100 g/L
• B. 105 g/L
• C. 110 g/L
• D. 115 g/L

Hint:

WHO uses 110 g/L for children 6 to 59 months; the cut-off quoted for infants under 6 months in this exam key is 115 g/L.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Step 1: Understanding the Question:
WHO defines anemia using different haemoglobin (Hb) cut-offs for different age and sex groups, since normal Hb naturally varies with age. We need the cut-off used specifically for infants under 6 months of age.

Step 2: Key Concept:
The commonly quoted WHO Hb cut-off for children 6 to 59 months of age is below 110 g/L (11 g/dl). Infants under 6 months are treated as a separate, slightly different group in some WHO reference tables because Hb naturally dips in the first weeks of life as fetal haemoglobin is replaced by adult haemoglobin.

Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
Per the reference used for this exam key, the cut-off for infants below 6 months is set a little higher, at less than 115 g/L (11.5 g/dl), compared to the 110 g/L cut-off used from 6 months to 6 years.

Note: WHO's published Hb thresholds for anemia are revised across different technical documents over time, and different textbooks are not fully uniform on the exact figure used for infants under 6 months specifically (some sources quote 110 g/L for this group too). This exam's official answer key uses 115 g/L for infants under 6 months, and that is the answer kept here since it is not certain to be wrong under current guidance.

Step 4: Final Answer:
The cut-off used for infants under 6 months of age is Hb less than 115 g/L, so option (D) is correct.