title: Effects of weekly iron supplementation on pregnant Indonesian women are similar to those of daily supplementation.
abstract: The effect of daily rather than weekly iron supplementation was compared in women who were 8-24 wk pregnant. One group (n = 68) received 60 mg Fe/d, the second group (n = 71) received 120 mg Fe/wk, given at once. Supplementation lasted 11.3 wk on average, depending on gestational date at entry, and was not supervised. Hemoglobin increased in both groups (P < 0.001); serum ferritin did not change significantly. There was no significant difference between groups for changes in hemoglobin and serum ferritin. In a subgroup of women with a hemoglobin concentration < 110 g/L at baseline (n = 45 daily; n = 54 weekly) no significant within-group changes occurred in serum ferritin, but the change in the daily group was 4.1 micrograms/L higher than in the weekly group (P = 0.049). Compliance, as indicated by two positive stool tests, was approximately equal to 54.3% in the daily group and 62.2% in the weekly group. We conclude that for the complete sample of subjects, the treatment effect of daily compared with weekly supplementation was similar under conditions resembling a normal antenatal care program.
authors.affiliation: Regional South East Asian Ministries of Education Organization Center for Community Nutrition, University of Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ridwan
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schultink
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dillon
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gross
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D005527:Food, Fortified; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007214:Indonesia / Q000453:epidemiology; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D007501:Iron / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000097:blood*; D011250:Pregnancy Complications, Hematologic / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D015597:Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D005293:Ferritins; D007501:Iron