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The impact of weekly iron supplementation on the iron status and growth of adolescent girls in Tanzania
Author(s) -
Beasley N. M. R.,
Tomkins A. M.,
Hall A.,
Lorri W.,
Kihamia C. M.,
Bundy D. A. P.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
tropical medicine and international health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.056
H-Index - 114
eISSN - 1365-3156
pISSN - 1360-2276
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-3156.2000.00641.x
Subject(s) - iron supplementation , iron status , tanzania , medicine , iron deficiency , ferritin , dietary iron , serum ferritin , ferrous sulphate , iron levels , ferrous , zoology , anemia , biology , chemistry , inorganic chemistry , environmental science , organic chemistry , environmental planning
Summary We evaluated the effect of weekly doses of 400 mg of ferrous sulphate for 4 months on the iron status of adolescent girls in a controlled trial in Tanga, Tanzania. Supplementation led to a significantly greater increase in serum ferritin compared with the control group (+ 15.6 μg/l vs . 8.6 μg/l) ( P = 0.002) but there was no significant difference in change in haemoglobin. Children given iron showed a significantly greater weight gain than controls (+ 2.4 kg vs . + 1.4 kg) ( P = 0.03). Weekly iron supplementation may be an effective means of increasing iron stores and growth in children vulnerable to iron deficiency.