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Haem iron intake in 12-36 month old children depleted in iron: case-control study
1Division of General Practice, Central Sydney Area Health Service, Balmain New South Wales, Australia.
Insights
Lower intake of heme iron and early introduction of whole cow's milk are key risk factors for iron depletion in young children. Parental education should focus on these dietary aspects for infants and toddlers.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Human Metabolism
- Dietary Iron Absorption
Background:
- Iron deficiency is a prevalent nutritional concern in young children globally.
- Understanding dietary factors contributing to iron depletion is crucial for public health interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the dietary intakes of heme and non-heme iron in iron-depleted versus iron-replete children aged 12-36 months.
- To identify key dietary risk factors associated with iron depletion in early childhood.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study was conducted with 56 iron-depleted children and 68 iron-replete controls.
- Dietary intake was assessed using a three-day weighed food record, and iron status was determined by plasma ferritin concentration.
- Risk factors for iron deficiency were evaluated through parental questionnaires.
Main Results:
- Iron-depleted children had significantly lower daily intakes of heme iron compared to iron-replete children.
- Low heme iron intake (< 0.71 mg/day) was strongly associated with iron depletion (OR=3.0).
- Introduction of whole cow's milk before 12 months of age was independently associated with iron depletion.
Conclusions:
- Reduced heme iron consumption is a significant risk factor for iron depletion in young children in developed countries.
- Early introduction of whole cow's milk (<12 months) is a confirmed risk factor for iron depletion.
- Parental nutrition education should emphasize adequate heme iron intake and appropriate timing for cow's milk introduction.
Objective:
To compare the intakes of haem and non-haem iron in iron depleted and iron replete children.
Design:
Case-control study.
Setting:
Early Childhood Centres and a long day care centre in Sydney, Australia.
Subjects:
Children aged 12-36 months depleted in iron and controls matched for age and sex.
Mean Outcome Measures:
Iron status by using plasma ferritin concentration. A three day weighed dietary intake record completed by the parents. Risk factors for iron deficiency assessed by questionnaire.
Results:
Fifty six iron depleted and 68 iron replete children participated. The average daily intake of haem iron was significantly lower in the iron depleted group (t = 2.392, P = 0.018); there was a tendency towards a lower average daily intake of non-haem iron (t = 1.724, P = 0.086) and vitamin C (t = 1.921, P = 0.057) for iron depleted children. Low intake of haem iron (< 0.71 mg/day) was significantly associated with iron depletion with an odds ratio fo 3.0 (P = 0.005). The proportion of iron depleted children who were given whole cows' milk before 12 months of age was almost double that of iron replete children; multivariate analysis showed that both haem iron intake and age of introduction of cows' milk were independently associated with iron depletion.
Conclusions:
The results of this study show that, in young children in developed countries, a lower haem iron intake is a major risk factor for iron depletion; the introduction of whole cows' milk before 12 months is further confirmed as a risk factor. Parental education on nutrition should now focus on these two aspects of nutrition for infants and young children.