A team of paleontologists and medical experts from Germany, the US and Italy studied the mummies of children from ancient Egypt and found out what they were sick with. According to the researchers, anemia was a common condition, according to Phys.. org.

The study focused on children who died before reaching adulthood and were mummified.. Mummification allows the remains to be preserved in a way that would not be possible if they were simply buried.. At the same time, the study must be carried out in such a way as not to unfold the bandages of the mummy. That is, scientists need to use modern tools to look behind them..

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Scientists conducted a CT scan of the remains of 21 children aged from one to 14 years. In seven children, the researchers noticed a pathological increase in the cranial vault - the part in which the brain is located.. It is usually associated with anemia.

Anemia is usually caused by malnutrition.. It leads to a decrease in the production of red blood cells, that is, not enough oxygen reaches the brain and other parts of the body.. People with anemia tend to suffer from other problems such as iron deficiency, bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract, inflammation, and chronic infections due to a weakened immune system..

Computed tomography data do not allow us to say whether anemia was the cause of death in children. But scientists believe that she was one of the factors.

Scientists also identified a child who suffered from thalassemia, in which the body cannot produce hemoglobin.. He also had an enlarged tongue. The child lived less than a year and probably suffered from many of the disorders that accompany the disease, the researchers said..

Previously, scientists talked about how the ancient Egyptians removed the brains of mummies. According to the researchers, the idea that they did it through the nose is incorrect..