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Effect of iron supplementation on physical growth in children: systematic review of randomised controlled trials

Hps Sachdev1, Tarun Gera, Penelope Nestel

  • 1Division of Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Paediatrics, Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi, 110 002, India. hpssachdev@hotmail.com

Public Health Nutrition
|October 3, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Iron supplementation showed no significant positive effect on children's physical growth. Heterogeneity in results suggests potential influencing factors needing further research.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Nutrition
  • Public Health
  • Growth and Development

Background:

  • Iron deficiency is a global concern affecting child development.
  • Supplementation is a common intervention to address iron deficiency.
  • Understanding its impact on physical growth is crucial for public health strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing iron supplementation's effect on children's physical growth.
  • To identify potential factors influencing the intervention's efficacy.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of 25 RCTs (26 cohorts) involving various iron supplementation methods.
  • Analysis of anthropometric variables including weight-for-age, weight-for-height, and height-for-age.
  • Random effects model used for pooled estimates, with heterogeneity analysis.

Main Results:

  • No statistically significant positive effect of iron supplementation on any measured anthropometric variable was found.
  • Significant heterogeneity was observed, with potential predictors including malaria endemicity, age, country income, and duration of supplementation.
  • Exploratory findings suggest a negative effect on linear growth in developed countries with longer supplementation periods.

Conclusions:

  • This systematic review found no evidence that iron supplementation improves physical growth in children.
  • Identified predictors of heterogeneity require further investigation and confirmation.
  • Current evidence does not support routine iron supplementation solely for enhancing physical growth in children.
Abstract

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