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Iron status in low-birth-weight infants, small and appropriate for gestational age. A follow-up study
M Olivares1, S Llaguno, V Marin
1Hematology Unit, Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology, University of Chile, Santiago.
Insights
Preterm infants, regardless of size, show iron deficiency before four months. Full-term infants do not develop iron deficiency by this age, but iron supplementation benefits preterm infants.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal nutrition
- Pediatric hematology
- Infant iron status
Background:
- Low birth weight infants are at risk for nutritional deficiencies.
- Iron deficiency can impact infant development and health.
- Understanding iron needs in different infant groups is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess iron nutrition in low-birth-weight infants.
- To compare iron status between preterm and full-term infants.
- To evaluate the effect of iron supplementation on infant iron status.
Main Methods:
- Iron nutrition was assessed in 84 low-birth-weight infants.
- Infants were categorized into three groups: preterm appropriate for gestational age, preterm small for gestational age, and full-term small for gestational age.
- A subset of infants received iron supplementation (3 mg/kg) from two to four months of age.
Main Results:
- At birth, preterm infants had lower hemoglobin and higher serum ferritin compared to some groups.
- Non-supplemented full-term small-for-gestational-age infants had higher hemoglobin at four months.
- Iron supplementation increased hemoglobin in preterm infants but not in full-term infants.
Conclusions:
- Preterm infants, regardless of gestational age appropriateness, exhibit iron deficiency before four months.
- Full-term infants do not develop iron deficiency by four months of age.
- Iron supplementation is beneficial for preterm infants' hemoglobin levels.
Abstract:
Iron nutrition was measured in 84 low-birth-weight infants. At birth, they were assigned to three groups: preterm infants appropriate for gestational age (n = 29); preterm infants small for gestational age (n = 17); and full-term infants small for gestational age (n = 38). A sub-sample of infants was supplemented with iron 3 mg/kg from two to four months of age. At birth, preterm appropriate-for-gestational-age infants had a lower hemoglobin concentration than full-term small-for-gestational-age infants (p < 0.01) and a higher serum ferritin than preterm small-for-gestational-age infants (p < 0.05). In the non-supplemented group, full-term small-for-gestational-age infants had significantly higher hemoglobin concentrations at four months of age. At this age, iron-supplemented preterm infants appropriate or small for gestational age had significantly higher hemoglobin levels than non-supplemented subjects, while iron supplementation did not have an effect on final hemoglobin concentration in full-term small-for-gestational-age infants. We conclude that preterm infants, irrespective of their adequacy for gestational age, show evidence of iron deficiency before four months of age. Full-term infants do not develop iron deficiency up to this age.