While iron deficiency is not a significant concern for children in the United States, it remains a concern for pediatricians as they conduct routine physical examinations on patients. With associated health complications, pediatricians continue to remain diligent in their management of iron levels in children.

Iron deficiency is a leading cause of developmental disorders in children. While the number of children suffering from anemia and other iron-deficient disorders has decreased in the past decade, there continue to be those children who are misdiagnosed and underdiagnosed with this health complication.

In the first year of life, the avoidance of cow’s milk is the most widely practiced method for preventing iron deficiency in children. Beyond the first year of life, however, the parents become more responsible for managing physical, motor, and behavioral development with a healthy diet.

If your child, after age one, is suffering from an iron deficiency, the symptoms of …

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Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency seen in women of childbearing age, and in infants and children under the ages of three years old. In both groups, a look at the diet can indicate the likelihood of iron deficiency becoming a problem that leads to anemia. Anemia is a condition in which the body does not produce enough hemoglobin to make healthy red blood cells capable of transporting sufficient oxygen to all of the body tissues. Adequate amounts of available iron in the body is essential for proper hemoglobin production.

In infants, nearly 40 to 60% are fed formula that is not iron-fortified, which leaves them at risk of iron deficiency by the age of 9 months. Only 15% of breastfed babies are found to suffer from an iron deficiency at the same age, despite both groups being introduced to iron-fortified infant cereals at age 6 months when …

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A recent study found that polyphenol antioxidants, found in fruits, vegetables and black, white and green tea, may inhibit the absorption of iron into the body. Okhee Han of Penn State University and fellow researchers believe that people who already do not get enough iron in their diet may be at a higher risk of iron deficiency if they have a high quantity of polyphenols in their diet.

Study on Polyphenols and Iron Deficiency

Han and fellow researchers studied the effects of taking grape seed extract and epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) on iron in the intestinal tract. Iron is absorbed in the intestine and sent to the bloodstream where it works to carry oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. The researchers used intestinal cells to test how polyphenols affect iron absorption. They found that the polyphenols bind to the iron making it incapable of entering the bloodstream. Instead …

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There was a time in my life that I was feeling very tired all the time. I wasn’t sure what was wrong with me so I made a visit to the doctor’s office. Blood test results showed that I had an iron deficiency. Iron deficiency is a common type of deficiency that many people have and don’t even know about and can be caused by numerous things, including poor diet, blood loss such as during menstrual periods, use of certain types of medication and disease. For me, it was a poor diet that didn’t include iron-rich foods and a lot of blood loss during my period.

For each person, the symptoms of iron deficiency can be different. However common symptoms are fatigue, pale skin, throat irritation, chipped fingernails and poor strength. I know if I don’t have enough iron in my system I get extremely fatigued and all I want …

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Mathematical Modeling

Once efficacy is demonstrated by conducting numerous studies in different geographical areas, program planning and implementation must be examined. Owing to the high prevalence of anemia in most developing countries, such a program must be targeted to all children less than three years of age. For large scale community based intervention, individualized screening procedure for IDA is not possible because: (a) there is no single marker for IDA; and (b) multiple marker studies will be very expensive. Therefore all children will receive iron intervention and a single safe dose is desired that is effective for all ‘at risk’ children under the age of 3 years. Such an ideal dose is challenging to compute, particularly because of the unique and complex metabolism of iron, and the changing needs of iron in rapidly growing children.

While dosing and frequency issues remain unresolved, the conventional approach to these challenges has been …

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Canadian First Nations and Inuit Study
(Contact: Anna Christofides; In Progress)

In order to test the efficacy of Sprinkles , First Nations and Inuit communities are participating in a longitudinal study designed by our group at The Hospital for Sick Children. In these populations, iron-rich foods are expensive and not readily available. Anemia in these infants varies from 20-40% of all infants according to past research. This is much higher than the 5-7% in Canada as a whole. Traditionally, iron drops have been used to treat iron deficiency anemia in this population. However, compliance using this treatment tends to be very low. In these populations, Sprinkles may prove to be a valuable alternative to the drops in treating and preventing iron deficiency anemia in infants.

The purpose of our study is to determine the efficacy of the Sprinkles , by comparing them to iron drops. In order to assess the …

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Sharieff W., Horton S.E., Zlotkin S. Economic gains from a home fortification program: Evaluation of “Sprinkles” from the provider’s perspective. Can J Public Health 2006;97(1):20-23.

Sharieff W., Horton S.E., Zlotkin S.

Introduction: This paper models the effects of a home-fortification program (using Sprinkles which contain zinc and iron and other micronutrients), in Pakistan, a country with high levels of infant mortality, anemia, and diarrhea. It uses the results of randomized trials of the effect of Sprinkles on anemia and on longitudinal prevalence of diarrhea.

Methods: Based on previous literature, the effect of Sprinkles on intermediate outcomes (diarrhea and anemia) is linked to longer-term outcomes (infant and young child mortality, and cognitive achievement and hence adult wages). Three different measures of cost effectiveness are presented: the cost per death averted (effect via zinc supplementation on reduction of longitudinal prevalence of diarrhea); the cost per ‘disability adjusted life year’ (DALY) saved (same …

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Mongolia (Contact: Claudia Schauer; Distribution Ongoing)

Evaluation of the Distribution of Micronutrient Sprinkles in over 10,000 Mongolian Infants Using a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Model.

Economic instability and severe winters have resulted in food shortages across Mongolia. As a result, micronutrient deficiencies are common among children. In a cross sectional survey conducted by World Vision, the prevalence of anemia (Hb<115 g/L) and vitamin D deficiency rickets (causing irreversible bone malformation) was found to be 42% and 33%, respectively, among Mongolian infants 6-36 months of age.

Sprinkles are unique in that other micronutrients in addition to iron, such as vitamin A, vitamin D, folic acid and zinc, can be included in the formulation for large-scale distribution to children at risk of multiple micronutrient deficiencies.

In the summer of 2001, Sprinkles were implemented for the first time into program by World Vision Mongolia. The objective of the program is to significantly reduce the …

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