Daily and weekly iron supplementations are effective in increasing hemoglobin and reducing anemia in infants

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of daily and weekly iron supplementation compared with control on hemoglobin values and anemia prevalence in infants. Methods: In this cluster-randomized study, we evaluated infants aged 12-24 months (n=210) from three public daycare centers, during 4 months. Intervention-group A was allocated 25 mg elemental iron once weekly; intervention-group B received 12.5 mg elemental iron once daily; control-group C received 0.5 ml of a natural color additive. Hemoglobin was assessed before and after intervention. Results: Baseline mean hemoglobin was 8.81±0.89 g/dl (group A), 9.70±1.56 g/dl (group B) and 10.96±0.92 g/dl (group C); after intervention, mean hemoglobin was 10.03±0.78 g/dl (p<0.0001), 10.65±0.97 g/dl (p<0.0001) and 11.30±0.80 g/dl (p=0.0034) for groups A, B and C, respectively. Anemia prevalence was as follows: group A, 100% at baseline and 83.3% at end of study, p=0.0001; group, B 75.0% and 41.7%, p=0.0002; group C, 50.0% and 37.5%, p=0.182. Conclusions: Weekly and daily iron supplementation were effective in increasing hemoglobin levels and reducing anemia in infants. © The Author [2012]. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.