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Daily and Weekly Iron Supplementations are Effective in Increasing Hemoglobin and Reducing Anemia in Infants

Francisco Plácido Nogueira Arcanjo1, Paulo Roberto Santos, Caio Plácido Costa Arcanjo

  • 1Federal University of Ceara, Sobral Unit, 62042-280 Sobral, Ceara, Brazil. franciscoplacidoarcanjo@gmail.com

Journal of Tropical Pediatrics
|December 18, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Both daily and weekly iron supplementation significantly improved hemoglobin levels and reduced anemia prevalence in infants. These findings highlight effective strategies for pediatric iron deficiency prevention.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Nutritional Science
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Iron deficiency anemia is a significant global health concern in infants.
  • Early childhood is a critical period for iron absorption and utilization.
  • Nutritional interventions are key to preventing and treating anemia in young children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the efficacy of daily versus weekly iron supplementation in improving hemoglobin levels.
  • To assess the impact of different iron supplementation schedules on anemia prevalence in infants.
  • To evaluate iron supplementation against a control group in a daycare setting.

Main Methods:

  • A cluster-randomized study involving 210 infants aged 12-24 months over 4 months.
  • Three groups: weekly iron (25 mg), daily iron (12.5 mg), and control (natural color additive).
  • Hemoglobin levels and anemia prevalence were measured pre- and post-intervention.

Main Results:

  • All iron supplementation groups showed significant increases in mean hemoglobin levels compared to baseline.
  • Weekly iron reduced anemia prevalence from 100% to 83.3%; daily iron reduced it from 75.0% to 41.7%.
  • The control group showed a non-significant reduction in anemia prevalence (50.0% to 37.5%).

Conclusions:

  • Both daily and weekly iron supplementation regimens effectively increase hemoglobin.
  • Iron supplementation significantly reduces the prevalence of anemia in infants.
  • These findings support the use of iron supplementation to combat anemia in pediatric populations.
Abstract

Keywords:
anemiainfantsiron supplementation

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