Supplemental food may not prevent iron-deficiency anemia in infants.
OBJECTIVE
The present study evaluates the role of supplementary food and medicinal iron intake in preventing iron deficiency anemia in children aged between 4 to 6 months.


METHODS
During a case-control study in "Tabriz Children Hospital", nutritional and medicinal-iron intake of 60 consecutively selected patients with iron-deficiency anemia were compared with 60 non-anemic children of similar age and sex distributions.


RESULTS
The mean hemoglobin concentration, corpuscular volume and serum iron were 9.11 g/dl, 65.41 fL and 19.33 microg/dl, in case group; and 12.6 g/dl, 75.18 fL and 78.28 microg/dl, in control group, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between age of case and control groups when complementary-semisolid foods were started (P=0.058), but the mean of received medicinal iron in case group was significantly lower than control group (P<0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Supplementary food intake alone is not efficient to prevent iron deficiency anemia since the age of 4-6 months. So, regular administration of medicinal iron is crucial to prevent iron-deficiency anemia in children aged 4-6 months.
Ghorashi
Ziaaedin
Z
Department of Pediatrics, Tabriz Children Hospital, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
Nezami
Nariman
N
Ghalehgolab Behbahan
Afshin
A
Ghorashi
Sona
S
D000328:Adult; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D005527:Food, Fortified; D006400:Hematocrit; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007225:Infant Food; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male
D006454:Hemoglobins; D007501:Iron