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Effect of iron on growth in iron deficient anemic school going children
R Bandhu1, N Shankar, O P Tandon
1Department of Physiology, University College of Medical Sciences & Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, Dilshad Garden, Delhi-110 095.
Insights
Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in children stunts growth. Iron supplementation improved anthropometric and hematological parameters in anemic children, showing greater benefits than in controls.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Hematology
- Child Development
Background:
- Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is linked to impaired growth and cognitive development in children.
- Understanding the impact of IDA on anthropometric and hematological markers is crucial for early intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of iron supplementation on anthropometric and hematological parameters in school-aged children with IDA.
- To compare the improvements in anemic children versus a control group after treatment.
Main Methods:
- Study included anemic and control groups of boys and girls.
- Children were dewormed, followed by 90 days of iron and vitamin C supplementation for the anemic group, and vitamin C for the control group.
- Anthropometric (height, weight, head circumference, BMI, mid-arm circumference) and hematological (hemoglobin, hematocrit, MCV, MCH, serum iron, TIBC, % saturation) parameters were measured pre- and post-therapy.
Main Results:
- Pre-supplementation, anemic children showed significantly lower anthropometric values compared to controls.
- Post-therapy, both anemic and control groups showed improvements, with greater gains in hematological parameters for anemic children.
- Anemic girls reached control ranges for mid-arm circumference, while anemic boys did not show similar recovery.
Conclusions:
- Children with IDA exhibit deficits in anthropometric parameters compared to healthy peers.
- Iron supplementation offers significant anthropometric and hematological benefits for children with IDA, particularly in girls.
- Further research may be needed to address specific anthropometric deficits in anemic boys.
Abstract:
Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in children has been associated with retardation in growth and the cognitive development. In the ongoing study on the effects of IDA in school going children, the effects on anthropometric parameters such as height (Ht), Weight (Wt), head circumference (HC), body mass index (BMI) and the mid arm circumference (MAC) were studied along with the hematological parameters such as hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (Hct), MCV, MCH, serum iron (SI), total iron binding capacity (TIBC) and % saturation. The pre-supplementation values of all these parameters were taken in anemic and control groups of girls and boys. After deworming all the children with albendazole (400 mg), the anemic group was put on iron supplementation (Ferrous iron 3-4 mg/kg body weight/day) along with vitamin C (100 mg OD) and the control children were given vitamin C (100 mg OD), for 90 days. Pre-supplementation values of IDA children were significantly lower for MAC and HC in girls and for Ht and MAC in boys, when compared to the control group. After the therapy both the groups of girls showed improvement in the hematological parameters though it was greater in the anemic girls. Ht and Wt of both groups also improved significantly but the anemic girls showed increase in BMI also. Both the control and anemic boys showed gain in weight. Post therapy, improvement in hematological parameters for both the anemic girls and boys were greater than their respective control groups. The MAC value for anemic girls were in the control range but those of anemic boys remained lesser than the control boys. So, it can be concluded from the present study that the IDA children lagged behind the control children in terms of anthropometric parameters and they benefited relatively more in terms of anthropometric improvement and hematological improvement after iron supplementation.