title: Calcium and phosphorus supplementation of iron-fortified infant formula: no effect on iron status of healthy full-term infants.
abstract: One objective of this clinical trial was to determine whether calcium and phosphorus supplementation of infant formula affects the iron status of healthy full-term infants. One hundred three infants were randomly assigned to receive iron-fortified, cow milk-based infant formula (465 mg Ca and 317 mg P/L) or the same formula with added calcium glycerophosphate (1800 mg Ca and 1390 mg P/L) for 9 mo. Reported calcium intake for supplemented infants was about four times that of control infants, ranging from a mean of 1741 mg/d at baseline to 1563 mg/d at 9 mo. There was no difference by treatment group in mean or median change from baseline of serum ferritin, total-iron-binding capacity, erythrocyte protoporphyrin, or hematocrit at 4 and 9 mo after enrollment. Incidence of iron deficiency was similar for both groups and no infant developed iron deficiency anemia during the trial. This study indicates that the well-documented inhibitory effect of calcium and phosphorus on iron absorption is not clinically important in infants fed iron-fortified infant formula.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH, USA. Madeline.Dalton@Dartmouth.edu
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Dalton
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Sargent
authors.forename: G T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: O'Connor
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Olmstead
authors.forename: R Z
authors.initials: RZ
authors.lastname: Klein
mesh_terms: D000042:Absorption / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002118:Calcium / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D005526:Food, Formulated / Q000592:standards*; D005527:Food, Fortified; D006400:Hematocrit; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007225:Infant Food / Q000592:standards*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood*; D007854:Lead / Q000097:blood; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011524:Protoporphyrins / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D011524:Protoporphyrins; D010758:Phosphorus; D007854:Lead; D005293:Ferritins; D007501:Iron; D002118:Calcium