Effect of oral iron supplement and iron rich diet in children of 6 to 10 years age with mild anemia A comparative study

Abstract

newlineABSTRACT newlineIron deficiency had emerged as a pervasive nutritional inadequacy globally, with a pronounced impact on developing nations, posing substantial public health challenges. Recognized as an essential micronutrient, iron plays multifaceted roles encompassing cellular growth, oxygen transport, immune modulation, cognitive functionality, and overall physical and mental development. Given the deleterious repercussions of childhood anaemia on developmental trajectories and the extant preventive and therapeutic strategies, its persistence in contemporary times remain untenable. newlineObjective: The study sought to ascertain the comparative efficacy of two iron supplementation modalities iron syrup versus an iron-enriched diet in ameliorating the iron status of children aged 6 to 10 years exhibiting mild anaemia. newlineMethodology: Conducted at the Department of Paediatrics, Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute and Auxilium Home for Children ; the study encompassed three hundred participants stratified into two cohorts: Group A comprising 150 children were given iron syrup and Group B consisting of 150 children provided with an iron- rich food plan curated by a nutritionist . Group A was administered a standardized amount of 3 mg/kg/day of iron supplementation by iron syrup. Thorough evaluations including hemoglobin (Hb) levels, serum iron concentrations, serum ferritin levels, Total Iron-Binding Capacity (TIBC), and transferrin saturation were carefully measured before and after a 3-month intervention period. Compliance with rigorous ethical standards maintained the ethical integrity of the study, focusing on children aged 6 to 10 years exhibiting hemoglobin levels ranging from 11 g/dl to 11.4 g/dl. newlineStudy Setting: newlineGroup A : Department of Paediatrics, Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute, Kelambakkam newlineGroup B: Auxilium Home for Children newlineStudy Design: Prospective interventional study. newlineStudy Population: Children aged 6-10 years exhibiting mild anaemia newline(Hb 11g/dl 11.4 g/dl). newlineii newlineSample Size: A convenient sample size