title: Effect of iron supplementation on biochemical indices of iron status in selected pre-adolescent schoolgirls in North West Frontier Province, Pakistan.
abstract: A study was carried out on eight to 11 year old schoolgirls to assess the prevalence of iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and to study the impact of iron supplementation on the biochemical indices of iron status. The children were characterized iron deficient anemic if their serum ferritin levels (SF) were <= 12 ng/ml and hemoglobin (Hb) < 12 g/dl or hematocrit (Hct) <= 35%. In a double blind trial, the anemic and non-anemic children were randomly selected for the treatment and control groups. All the groups received multivitamin tablets daily, the treatment group received an additional 76 mg elemental iron per day for 11 weeks. The prevalence of IDA in these children was found to be 35% . The supplementation caused a significantly (P<0.05) greater change in SF (20 ng/ml); Hb (1.5 g/dl) and Hct (3%) of the anemic treatment group compared to the corresponding control group. The non-anemic treatment group also showed a significantly greater change in SF (9 ng/ml); Hb (0.78 g/ dl) and Hct (1.3%) than that of the control group. An increase in biochemical indices of the nonanemic treatment indicates that this group's initial iron status was only marginally adequate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Nutrition, NWFP Agricultural University, Peshawar, Pakistan.
authors.forename: P I
authors.initials: PI
authors.lastname: Paracha
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nawab