Daily and Weekly Iron Supplementations are Effective in Increasing Hemoglobin and Reducing Anemia in Infants.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to compare the effects of daily and weekly iron supplementation versus control on hemoglobin levels and anemia prevalence in infants.
Results Summary
Both weekly (25 mg) and daily (12.5 mg) iron supplementation significantly increased hemoglobin levels and reduced anemia prevalence in infants, with daily supplementation showing a stronger effect. The control group also saw a modest improvement, though less pronounced.
Population
Infants aged 12-24 months from three public daycare centers.
Effective Dosage
25 mg elemental iron once weekly (Group A); 12.5 mg elemental iron once daily (Group B).
Duration
4 months.
Interactions
None mentioned.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
25 mg elemental iron once weekly | increase | hemoglobin levels | infants aged 12-24 months | from 8.81 ± 0.89 g/dl to 10.03 ± 0.78 g/dl | effective in increasing | #1 |
25 mg elemental iron once weekly | decrease | anemia prevalence | infants aged 12-24 months | from 100% to 83.3% | reducing | #2 |
12.5 mg elemental iron once daily | increase | hemoglobin levels | infants aged 12-24 months | from 9.70 ± 1.56 g/dl to 10.65 ± 0.97 g/dl | effective in increasing | #3 |
12.5 mg elemental iron once daily | decrease | anemia prevalence | infants aged 12-24 months | from 75.0% to 41.7% | reducing | #4 |
0.5 ml of a natural color additive | increase | hemoglobin levels | infants aged 12-24 months | from 10.96 ± 0.92 g/dl to 11.30 ± 0.80 g/dl | - | #5 |
0.5 ml of a natural color additive | no change | anemia prevalence | infants aged 12-24 months | from 50.0% to 37.5% | - | #6 |
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.