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Modifying Levels of Maternal Dietary Folic Acid or Choline to Study the Impact of Deficiencies on Offspring Health Outcomes
Published on: June 28, 2024
Should infant girls receive micronutrient supplements?
Christine Stabell Benn1, Sofia Lund, Ane Fisker
1Bandim Health Project, INDEPTH Network, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau. cb@ssi.dk
International Journal of Epidemiology
|January 17, 2009
Summary
Zinc/folic acid (FA) and iron supplementation may not benefit young girls, potentially due to interactions with diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) vaccination. Further research is needed to confirm this potential negative association.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Immunology
- Public Health
Background:
- Previous hypotheses suggested vitamin A supplementation combined with diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) vaccination might increase mortality in girls.
- Recent trials on zinc/folic acid (FA) and iron supplementation showed no mortality benefits.
- This review investigated potential negative interactions between micronutrient supplementation (zinc/FA, iron) and DTP vaccination in girls.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the hypothesis of increased mortality in girls associated with combined micronutrient supplementation and DTP vaccination.
- To review existing studies for evidence of negative interactions between zinc/folic acid/iron and DTP vaccination.
- To explore potential sex- and age-specific effects of these interventions.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of published papers to calculate age- and sex-specific mortality estimates.
- Review of existing trial data for evidence of interactions.
- Mortality data were analyzed without specific vaccination status information.
Main Results:
- Zinc/folic acid (FA) and iron supplementation demonstrated sex- and age-differential effects on mortality.
- The beneficial effects of these supplements were less pronounced in the youngest girls.
- Youngest girls are most likely to have received the DTP vaccine as their most recent immunization.
Conclusions:
- Similar to vitamin A, zinc/FA, and iron may not provide benefits to the youngest girls.
- The lack of benefit could be an inherent characteristic of young girls or an interaction with environmental factors, such as DTP vaccination.
- Further investigation is required to elucidate the role of DTP vaccination as a potential interacting factor.
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