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Published on: April 28, 2022
Iron reference intake values for 7- to 23-month-old Brazilian children
Alessandra da Silva Pereira1, Inês Rugani Ribeiro de Castro2, Eliseu Verly-Junior3
1Escola de Nutrição, https://ror.org/04tec8z30Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.
Insights
New iron intake reference values (NRV) were established for Brazilian children. These adapted NRV, considering iron bioavailability, are higher than international recommendations, ensuring adequate iron intake for growth and development.
Area of Science:
- Nutritional Science
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Public Health
Background:
- Current iron intake reference values (NRV) require adaptation for specific pediatric populations.
- Harmonisation approaches can be applied to refine NRV estimations.
- Understanding local dietary iron bioavailability is crucial for accurate NRV.
Purpose of the Study:
- To adapt current iron intake reference values (NRV) for Brazilian children aged 7-11 and 12-23 months.
- To apply harmonisation principles in adapting the NRV.
- To estimate average requirement (AR) and population reference intake (PRI) for iron in young Brazilian children.
Main Methods:
- Applied and adapted methods from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
- Estimated body iron losses, growth needs, and dietary iron bioavailability using local and external data.
- Utilized dietary intake data from a probabilistic sample of children aged 7-23 months in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Main Results:
- Mean physiological iron requirements varied by age and sex, with higher needs for males.
- Mean dietary iron bioavailability was estimated at 7.5% across all groups.
- Estimated NRV (AR and PRI) for Brazilian children were 10-19 mg/d (7-11 months) and 7-13 mg/d (12-23 months).
Conclusions:
- Adapted Brazilian NRV for iron intake were higher than those set by IOM and EFSA.
- Dietary iron bioavailability was identified as the primary factor influencing the difference in NRV.
- The study provides updated, context-specific iron recommendations for Brazilian children.
Objective:
To adapt current iron intake reference values for Brazilian children aged 7-11 and 12-23 months, using the opportunity to apply the principles and rationale of the harmonisation approach.
Design:
Nutrient reference values (NRV), including the average requirement (AR) and population reference intake (PRI), were estimated for children aged 7-11 and 12-23 months. We applied and adapted methods from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to estimate the NRV. Body iron losses, iron needs for growth and dietary iron bioavailability were estimated using both local and external data.
Setting:
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Participants:
Data on dietary intake from a probabilistic sample of children aged 7-23 months in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, were used to estimate iron consumption and bioavailability.
Results:
The mean physiological iron requirements were 0·78 mg/d (7-11 months, male), 0·53 mg/d (7-11 months, female), 0·79 mg/d (12-23 months, male) and 0·54 mg/d (12-23 months, female). Mean dietary iron bioavailability was 7·5 % across all age and sex groups. AR and PRI were 10 mg/d and 19 mg/d for children aged 7-11 months, and 7 mg/d and 13 mg/d for those aged 12-23 months. NRV did not differ by sex.
Conclusion:
The AR for children aged 7-11 and 12-23 months were 11 mg/d and 8 mg/d, respectively. The corresponding PRI were 20 mg/d and 14 mg/d. The estimated Brazilian NRV were higher than those of the IOM and EFSA. Iron bioavailability was the most influential factor explaining the differences from other NRV.
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