title: Iron interventions in children from low-income and middle-income populations: benefits and risks.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Children from low- and middle-income countries are particularly vulnerable to develop iron deficiency and iron deficiency anaemia (IDA), which can be prevented or controlled with different iron intervention strategies. However, there is a debate on the efficacy and safety of iron interventions, especially in children from areas with a high infectious disease burden. This review provides an overview of recent trials that investigated the benefits and potential risks of iron interventions in children from low and middle-income countries.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Recent studies showed that intermittent iron supplementation is a promising strategy in reducing iron deficiency and IDA. Only a few studies investigated the effect of iron interventions on developmental outcomes, such as growth and cognition, and provided mixed results. An increasing number of studies reported that iron intervention increases morbidity and causes unfavourable shifts in the gut microbial composition along with increases in intestinal inflammation, particularly in children with a high infectious disease burden.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  More studies in children from low and middle-income populations are needed that provide evidence for the beneficial effects of iron interventions on functional outcomes beyond alleviating iron deficiency and IDA, and that explore potential mechanisms underlying the negative effects of iron reported in recent trials.
authors: aCentre of Excellence for Nutrition, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa bLaboratory of Human Nutrition, Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors: Jeannine
authors: J
authors: Baumgartner
authors: Tanja
authors: T
authors: Barth-Jaeggi
mesh_terms: D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002648:Child; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects; D003906:Developing Countries; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000009:adverse effects; D064806:Dysbiosis / Q000139:chemically induced*; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000139:chemically induced*; D006128:Growth / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000150:complications; D007501:Iron / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000090463:Iron Deficiencies; D018570:Risk Assessment
chemical_list: D007501:Iron