Long-term supplementation with iron does not enhance growth in malnourished Bangladeshi children

Mohammad M. Rahman, Syed M. Akramuzzaman, Amal K. Mitra, George J. Fuchs, Dilip Mahalanabis

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

24 Scopus citations

Abstract

To evaluate the effect of long-term oral iron supplementation on growth, 250 children aged 6-71 mo were studied in a randomized double-blind controlled trial. The intervention group received 125 mg of ferrous gluconate (15 mg elemental iron) plus multivitamins (vitamins A, D and C); the comparison group received only multivitamins daily for 12 mo. Weight (kg) and height (cm) were measured every month. Eighty three percent of the children continued the treatment for one year. The weight increment over the 12-mo period was 1.35 ± 0.65 kg (mean ± SD) in the intervention group and 1.39 ± 0.54 kg in the comparison group. The height increments were 6.01 ± 1.47 and 6.18 ± 1.58 cm in the intervention and comparison groups, respectively. Mean weight and height increments did not differ; in an analysis stratified according to different age and nutritional categories, they also did not differ between the two groups, indicating that long-term iron supplementation does not increase growth in children.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1319-1322
Number of pages4
JournalJournal of Nutrition
Volume129
Issue number7
DOIs
StatePublished - 1999

Keywords

  • Children
  • Growth
  • Height
  • Iron
  • Weight

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Medicine (miscellaneous)
  • Nutrition and Dietetics

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