Almost half of Bradford's youngsters are anaemic because of poor diet, a shocking new survey reveals today

And health chiefs fear the children could suffer development problems.

The survey of youngsters by a health visitor and her team estimates the city could suffer three or four times the national average.

Now a major project to check every baby in inner city areas is set to test 2,000 tots a year in a bid to identify problems early and treat them.

Manningham health visitor Catherine Bartle has worked on the problem of iron-deficiency anaemia for several years, and in a study she found 43 per cent of local children were anaemic.

The results of anaemia in children so young can be devastating - it can affect the development of their motor skills and speech.

"And they tend to be naughty. If you've ever suffered anaemia you'll know you feel washed out and worn out, and children don't know what to do about that and they get naughty," said Mrs Bartle.

"Parents often see an improvement in their children's behaviour when they are treated. And after we have given healthy diet advice, many come back and say cutting back on things like fizzy drinks has improved the children's behaviour too," said Mrs Bartle, who is based at Manningham Clinic on Lumb Lane. Dental decay is also common among anaemic children.

Nationally, the Department of Health estimates 12 per cent of children suffer anaemia. The anaemia is almost always caused by diet, said Mrs Bartle, and often by failing to wean babies from milk onto proper foods.

The project has now received £40,000 Health Action Zone cash over three years from Bradford City Primary Care Group to do the pin-prick blood tests on all babies in the inner city area.

The tests will probably be done at about seven or eight months, so problems are picked up early.

Any babies who fail the screening tests are sent for full blood tests and the team then works with the children's GP so they can be prescribed iron drops if appropriate, as well as parents receiving advice and information about diet.

Mrs Bartle, who has been a health visitor for 20 years, and clinic nurse Sandra Gallagher are now putting together a training package so clinic staff in more than 40 GP practices in the city can test local babies.

Each testing machine costs £700 to buy, and tests are 25 pence each, so Mrs Bartle is asking any firms which could sponsor a machine to contact her, as it would enable clinics to go ahead in more places which are convenient for parents.

Bradford paediatrician Dr Steve Green said he had treated children with iron-deficiency anaemia when he worked as a doctor in Africa, but it was sad to see such problems in 21st century Bradford.

"Iron-deficiency anaemia does affect overall development of a child and it's worrying there are such high levels.

"Studies done in many parts of the world have shown that iron-deficiency anaemia leads to slower development. There's a great need for work to be done on this and on appropriate supplementation."

Poverty played a major part, making it difficult to find the resources to cook fresh vegetables, especially when quick and easy "junk" food was so readily available, he said.

"Trying to get kids to eat foods such as green leafy vegetables is never easy at the best of times," said Dr Green.

The problem was widespread in both white and ethnic minority communities, said Dr Green.

Nancy O'Neill, nurse representative on Bradford City PCG, said: "This project fits in well with the long-term strategic objectives of the PCG, which are around improving the total health of the population in the long-term. This isn't just addressing the anaemia today but it's also looking to the long-term with improving health and diet."

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