Limited evidence suggested that iron supplementation produced a small improvement in cognitive development but had no effect on physical growth .
CONCLUSIONS : In 2 to 5 year olds , daily iron supplementation increases hemoglobin and ferritin .
There is a concerning lack of data on the effect of iron supplementation on clinical ly important outcomes including anemia , ID anemia , ID , and cognitive development .
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES : Iron deficiency ( ID ) is the most common cause of anemia worldwide .
The prevalence is highest among preschool-aged children .
Iron is widely administered to children with or at risk for ID , but evidence of benefit among 2- to 5-year-old children has not been evaluated by systematic review .
We summarize the evidence for the benefit and safety of daily iron supplementation with regard to hematologic , growth , and cognitive parameters in 2 to 5 year olds .
Zinc supplementation reduced morbidity, but neither zinc nor iron supplementation affected growth or body composition of Mexican preschoolers.
In rural Mexico and in many developing countries micronutrient deficiencies , growth stunting , and morbidity from infectious diseases are highly prevalent in young children . We assessed the extent to which growth stunting could be reversed and the number of infectious disease episodes reduced by zinc and /or iron supplementation . In a double-blind , r and omized community trial 219 Mexican preschoolers were supplemented with either 20 mg Zn as zinc methionine , 20 mg Fe as ferrous sulfate , 20 mg Zn + 20 mg Fe , or a placebo . After 12 mo , plasma zinc increased significantly in the two zinc-treated groups , and plasma ferritin was significantly higher in the two iron-treated groups . There was no effect of treatments on growth velocity or body composition . Children in both zinc-supplemented groups had fewer episodes of disease ( zinc alone , 3.9 + /- 0.3 ; zinc+iron , 3.7 + /- 0.4 ; placebo , 4.6 + /- 0.5 ; P < 0.03 ) , including diarrhea ( zinc alone , 0.7 + /- 0.1 ; zinc+iron , 0.8 + /- 0.1 ; placebo , 1.1 + /- 0.2 ; P < 0.01 ) . Zinc and zinc+iron supplements reduced morbidity but had no effect on growth or body composition
Limited evidence suggested that iron supplementation produced a small improvement in cognitive development but had no effect on physical growth .
CONCLUSIONS : In 2 to 5 year olds , daily iron supplementation increases hemoglobin and ferritin .
There is a concerning lack of data on the effect of iron supplementation on clinical ly important outcomes including anemia , ID anemia , ID , and cognitive development .
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES : Iron deficiency ( ID ) is the most common cause of anemia worldwide .
The prevalence is highest among preschool-aged children .
Iron is widely administered to children with or at risk for ID , but evidence of benefit among 2- to 5-year-old children has not been evaluated by systematic review .
We summarize the evidence for the benefit and safety of daily iron supplementation with regard to hematologic , growth , and cognitive parameters in 2 to 5 year olds .