Weekly iron supplementation for the prevention of anemia in pre-school children: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

• Published in: Journal of tropical pediatrics (1980) Vol. 57; no. 6; p. 433
• Main Authors: Arcanjo, Francisco Plácido Nogueira, Arcanjo, Cecília Costa, Amancio, Olga Maria Silverio, Braga, Josefina Aparecida Pellegrini, Leite, Alvaro Jorge Madeiro
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01.12.2011
• Subjects: Anemia, Iron-Deficiency - blood; Anemia, Iron-Deficiency - prevention & control; Child, Preschool; Dietary Supplements; Double-Blind Method; Female; Ferrous Compounds - therapeutic use; Hematinics - therapeutic use; Hematocrit; Hemoglobins - metabolism; Humans; Male; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 1465-3664
• DOI: 10.1093/tropej/fmq119

This study analyses the impact of weekly iron supplementation with ferrous sulphate heptahydrate (FeSO4) in 5-year-olds compared with placebo, on hemoglobin (Hb) and hematocrit (Ht) values and anemia. The study concerns a cluster-randomized, placebo-controlled double-blind trial. Intervention participants received 50 mg elemental iron for 14 weeks. The study population comprised pre-school children (n = 135) from one randomly chosen public school in the northeast of Brazil. Participants were 5-year-old students from a public school. Mean Hb and Ht values increased after iron supplementation, with p < 0.0001. There was no statistically significant increase in the placebo group. After intervention, anemia prevalence reduced only in the intervention group, from 48.0% to 26.0%. Weekly iron supplementation was effective in reducing anemia in 5-year-olds.