IronUp!’s solutions to preventing and screening for Iron Deficiency Anemia

To help improve early risk detection and reduce barriers to screening, IronUp! is both scaling existing tools as well as developing new innovations that are non-invasive, easy-to-use and designed to support earlier awareness of Iron Deficiency Anemia. Alongside these screening approaches, Danone has also leveraged nutritional science to enhance iron bioavailability in the gut, helping to ensure as many children as possible have access to more effective iron absorption during early life.

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Non-Invasive Hb devices
IronQ
IronUp! Checker
IronBiotics
IronUp! Science

Iron Intake Questionnaire (IronQ)

This approach is a simple, seven-question risk-screening tool based on a child’s intake of iron-rich foods. It is designed to help parents and healthcare professionals assess the risk of iron deficiency in children aged 6 months to 6 years and take early action where needed.

The questionnaire is deployed through both digital and in-person channels including websites, mobile apps, telehealth platforms, child health booklets, clinics, schools, community health days, and commercial events.

Here are in-market campaigns for our iron intake questionnaire. Try it for yourself!

Try the Iron Intake Questionnaire

Non-Invasive Hb Devices

One of the solutions used in Danone-supported programs to raise awareness and support earlier detection of Iron Deficiency Anemia is a non-invasive screening technology developed by Masimo. Traditional blood testing can be stressful for both parents and healthcare professionals, particularly for infants and young children, which is why simpler, more accessible approaches to screening are increasingly important.

These non-invasive Hb devices estimate total hemoglobin levels to help identify adults and children who may be at risk of anemia. It provides healthcare professionals with an accurate screening tool that can be used in settings such as clinics and community health centers, without requiring a blood draw. While highly effective, the cost of the technology can present challenges for large-scale implementation, particularly in lower-resource settings.

IronUp! Checker

While the non-invasive Hb devices and the iron intake questionnaire have helped raise awareness and drive early action on iron intake and IDA risk through targeted nutritional strategies, Danone’s goal is to continue offering scalable, non-invasive solutions for risk of anemia detection that can be widely implemented to address a critical global public concern.

Danone’s latest research demonstrates that artificial intelligence can predict hemoglobin levels from smartphone images with clinically meaningful accuracy. This IronUp! Checker tool leverages artificial intelligence to analyse visual health indicators through a short, guided interaction in which children are asked to stick out their tongue, pull bug-eyed faces or show their lips.

The AI system will provide an initial hemoglobin level screening assessment, supporting HCPs and helping parents make more informed decisions about their child’s potential iron status.

IronBiotics

Danone’s IronBiotics is a nutritional innovation designed to help improve iron absorption and support healthy iron status during early life.

Combining iron with Vitamin C, IronBiotics is a prebiotic blend developed to enhance iron bioavailability while also supporting a favorable infant gut microbiome.

By improving how iron is absorbed and utilized, this solution aims to help address Iron Deficiency Anemia through more effective early-life nutrition.

IronUp! Science

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