This systematic review indicates that iron supplementation increases  Hb levels in children significantly but modestly .
The increase is greater in subjects who are anaemic at the start of the trial and lower in malarial hyperendemic areas and in those consuming iron-fortified food .
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect of iron supplementation on  haemoglobin ( Hb ) in children through a systematic review of r and omised controlled trials .
Feeding iron-fortified premature formula during initial hospitalization to infants less than 1800 grams birth weight.
OBJECTIVE A r and omized , double-blind study was conducted comparing high-iron content ( 15 mg/L ) with low-iron content ( 3 mg/L ) premature formula given during initial hospitalization to infants with birth weights less than 1800 g to determine the influence of these differing intakes on the iron nutritional status during the first 4 months of life . A third group of similar infants received human milk mixed with an equal volume of liquid fortifier result ing in an iron content of approximately 1.7 mg/L. PATIENTS AND METHODS Mean birth weight , gestational age , age at study entry , volume of blood removed for studies , and volume of red cells transfused were not different among the three groups . After hospitalization both formula-fed groups were given a cow milk formula with an iron content of 12 mg/L , and breast-fed infants were given an iron-containing multivitamin with a result ing iron intake of 10 mg/d . Infants were observed to 8 weeks after discharge . RESULTS There were no differences in serum iron , ferritin , transferrin , transferrin saturation , hemoglobin , hematocrit , or reticulocyte count among the three groups at study entry , although mean corpuscular hemoglobin and mean corpuscular volume were lower in infants in the low-iron formula group . Mean plasma ferritin was significantly lower in infants receiving low-iron content premature formula at the time of hospital discharge compared with the other two groups . The incidence of anemia ( hemoglobin < 9.0 g/dL ) and low transferrin saturation ( < 24 % ) was also greater in the low-iron content formula group . Eight weeks after discharge , the incidence of low plasma ferritin ( < 19 ng/mL ) remained greater in infants receiving low-iron content formula than in the other two groups . No adverse effects of iron intake were observed . Growth was not different among the three groups . CONCLUSIONS These data indicate that preterm infants with < 1800 g birth weight receiving premature infant formula benefit from formula given during initial hospitalization containing 15 mg/L iron compared with that containing 3
This systematic review indicates that iron supplementation increases  Hb levels in children significantly but modestly .
The increase is greater in subjects who are anaemic at the start of the trial and lower in malarial hyperendemic areas and in those consuming iron-fortified food .
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect of iron supplementation on  haemoglobin ( Hb ) in children through a systematic review of r and omised controlled trials .