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Iron deficiency anaemia: continuous versus intermittent treatment in anaemic children
Insights
Intermittent oral iron therapy is as effective as daily treatment for children aged 1 to 6 with iron deficiency anaemia. This finding offers a potentially more convenient treatment option for pediatric patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Hematology
- Nutritional Anemias
Background:
- Iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) is a prevalent condition in children.
- Current standard treatment involves daily oral iron supplementation.
- Alternative dosing regimens warrant investigation for improved adherence and efficacy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the efficacy of intermittent (3 days/week) versus continuous (daily) oral iron therapy in treating IDA in children.
- To evaluate hemoglobin level changes in pediatric patients receiving different oral iron dosing schedules.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial was conducted with children aged 1 to 6 years diagnosed with IDA (Hb < 11 g/dl).
- Participants were divided into two groups: Group A received daily elemental iron (6 mg/kg), and Group B received the same dose thrice weekly.
- Hemoglobin levels were measured before treatment and after 2 months.
Main Results:
- Both groups showed significant increases in hemoglobin levels after 2 months of treatment.
- Group A's mean Hb increased from 8.56 g/dl to 11.06 g/dl.
- Group B's mean Hb increased from 8.32 g/dl to 11.3 g/dl.
- The difference in hemoglobin rise between the two groups was not statistically significant.
Conclusions:
- Intermittent oral iron therapy is as effective as continuous daily therapy for treating iron deficiency anaemia in children aged 1 to 6 years.
- The findings suggest that a less frequent dosing schedule may be a viable and equally effective alternative for pediatric IDA treatment.
Abstract:
Iron deficiency anaemia is a common disorder among paediatric population. Traditionally, oral iron is given for treatment on daily basis. We undertook this study to compare the results of intermittent with continuous oral iron therapy in children. The study was conducted at Combined Military Hospital (CMH), Lahore. Children (aged 1 to 6) with iron deficiency anaemia (Hb 11 g/dl) were allocated at random into two groups, A (n = 27) and B (n = 28). The mean Hb of group A, before treatment, was 8.56 (+/- 1.51) g/dl and that of group B was 8.32 (+/- 1.68) g/dl. Group A was given daily oral dosage of 6 mg/kg of elementAL iron whereas group B was given the same dosage of iron but only 3 days a week. After 2 months of treatment the Hb of group A rose to a mean of 11.06 (+/- 0.72) g/dl and that of group B was increased to 11.3 (+/- 0.90) g/dl, respectively. The difference, in the rise of Hb of two groups, was not statistically significant. It was concluded that in our sample of population, the results of intermittent and continuous oral iron therapy, for iron deficiency anaemia in children aged 1 to 6 years, were identical.