Prophylactic Iron and Nutrition in Preventing Infant Iron Deficiency

Konya Meram State Hospital

Status: Completed

Conditions: Iron Deficiencies; Iron Deficiency Anemia in Childbirth; Infant Nutrition Disorders

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06283342

Konya Pediatric Hematology

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study aimed to reveal the effects of prophylactic iron preparations, adequate breast milk intake, and iron-rich supplementary food intake in the prevention of IDA (iron deficiency anemia) and ID (iron deficiency) in infancy.

Full description

Iron plays an important role in oxidation and reduction reactions, which have a very important place in the continuation of life. Iron plays an essential role in these reactions because it can easily gain and lose electrons in redox reactions. Iron is mostly found in the heme molecule in organisms. However, iron has structural and functional importance for many enzymes and proteins other than heme. Iron deficiency (ID) is the most common nutritional deficiency in children worldwide. ID is more common in socio-economically developing geographies. However, it is still an important problem in developed countries. A plasma ferritin level below 12 mg/L is defined as ID, which is often used synonymously with iron deficiency anemia (IDA). However, ID develops before anemia occurs. Weakness, fatigue, tiring quickly, insomnia, and regression in neuro-cognitive functions may occur in ID that precedes the signs of anemia. With the development of anemia, the clinical diagnosis of IDA is fully revealed.

In ID that occurs in infancy, psychomotor development is adversely affected, and the development of cognitive functions slows down or even stops. Immune system functions regress. Although iron treatment can reverse these negative effects, some effects are permanent. Therefore, prevention of ID is more important than treatment. In addition, it is easier and cheaper to prevent ID and IDA than to treat them. It is a health policy to recommend iron prophylaxis to children aged 4-12 months in the Republic of Turkey.

Adding iron-rich foods to the diet, adequate breast milk intake, and prophylaxis with iron preparations can be used to prevent ID and IDA. However, there are different data in the literature on the use of prophylactic iron preparations.

Enrollment: 2 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 6 to 24 months old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Patients aged between 6-24 months and admitted to the general pediatrics outpatient clinic

Exclusion criteria

• Chronic disease
• Blood transfusion history,
• Thalassemia carrier status
• Clinical diagnosis of infection or elevated C-reactive protein (CRP)
• Patients who received iron deficiency or iron deficiency anemia treatment
• Those who were born prematurely
• Patients with low birth weight

Trial design

2 participants in 4 patient groups

Iron deficiency group

Description:

Patients with a ferritin level below 12 mg/L were considered to have Iron deficiency group.

Not iron deficiency group

Description:

Patients with a ferritin level above 12 mg/L were considered to have not iron deficiency group.

Iron deficiency anemia group

Description:

Patients with ferritin level below 12 mg/L and hemoglobin (Hb) value below 11 g/dL were considered to have IDA.

Not iron deficiency anemia group

Description:

Patients with ferritin level below 12 mg/L and hemoglobin (Hb) value above 11 g/dL were considered to have Not iron deficiency anemia group.