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Predicting iron status in low birthweight infants
R Thom1, W Parnell, R Broadbent
1Department of Human Nutrition, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Insights
Low birthweight infants not receiving daily iron supplements are at high risk for iron deficiency. Supplementation history can help identify infants needing iron status investigation.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Nutritional Science
- Hematology
Background:
- Low birthweight infants are a high-risk group for developing iron deficiency.
- Assessing iron status is crucial for the healthy development of these infants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the iron status of low birthweight infants at approximately 9 months of age.
- To evaluate the feasibility of predicting iron status based on supplementary iron intake history.
Main Methods:
- Eighty-one low birthweight infants were categorized into 'high' or 'low' iron intake groups based on consumption of infant formula or medicinal iron.
- Iron status was compared between the two groups.
Main Results:
- 33% of infants were iron deficient, with 15% having iron deficiency anemia.
- Infants with low iron intake were 13 times more likely to be iron deficient.
- Screening based on iron intake had a positive predictive value of 66% and a negative predictive value of 88%.
Conclusions:
- Daily supplementary iron intake is critical for preventing iron deficiency in low birthweight infants.
- Current preventative methods may not be fully effective.
- Screening iron intake is a useful method for identifying infants requiring iron status investigation.
Objective:
To determine the iron status of a selected group of low birthweight infants at approximately 9 months of age, and examine the feasibility of predicting iron status by examining the history of supplementary iron intake.
Methods:
All live low birthweight infants recorded in the Dunedin Hospital Queen Mary Maternity Unit birth register who reached 9 months of age between November 1995 and September 1996 were eligible to participate. Infants were categorized into 'high' or 'low' iron intake groups depending on their consumption of infant formula or medicinal iron for one month prior to the study, and their iron status compared.
Results:
Eighty-one infants of 73 mothers, with an average age of 10 months (range 8-13 months), participated. Thirty-three per cent (n = 27) were iron deficient: 19% (n = 15) had latent iron deficiency and 15% (n = 12) had iron deficiency anaemia. Those with a 'low' iron intake were 13-fold more likely to be iron deficient than infants with a 'high' iron intake (95% confidence interval: 4.4-41.5). Screening for iron deficiency using categories based on supplementary iron intake had a positive predictive value of 66% and a negative predictive value of 88%.
Conclusions:
The risk of iron deficiency was considerably greater for infants who had not received supplementary iron daily over the course of the previous month. Current preventative methods for avoiding poor iron status in this group of high risk infants are not effective. Screening for iron deficiency in low birthweight infants on the basis of iron intake from infant formula or medicinal iron provides a useful method for identifying infants whose iron status should be investigated.
