Child health
Iron supplementation in early childhood: health benefits and risks
Assessing health benefits of oral iron supplementation in children
Authors:
L.L. Iannotti; J. M. Tielsch; M. M. Black
Publisher:
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2009
The prevalence of iron deficiency among infants and young children living in developing countries is high. This article in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reviewed 26 randomised controlled trials of preventive, oral iron supplementation in young children (aged 0–59 mo) living in developing countries to ascertain the associated health benefits and risks. The outcomes investigated were anaemia, development, growth, morbidity, and mortality. Initial hemoglobin concentrations and iron status were considered as effect modifiers, although few studies included such subgroup analyses.
The authors find that among iron-deficient or anaemic children, hemoglobin concentrations were improved with iron supplementation. Reductions in cognitive and motor development deficits were observed in iron-deficient or anaemic children, particularly with longer-duration, lower-dose regimens. With iron supplementation, weight gains were adversely affected in iron deficient children; the effects on height were inconclusive. Most studies found no effect on morbidity, although few had sample sizes or study designs that were adequate for drawing conclusions. In a malaria-endemic population of Zanzibar, significant increases in serious adverse events were associated with iron supplementation, whereas, in Nepal, no effects on mortality in young children were found. The authors conclude that more research is needed in populations affected by HIV and tuberculosis. Iron supplementation in preventive programmes may need to be targeted through identification of iron-deficient children.
[adapted from the authors]
