Synthesized evidence indicates that addition of multiple micronutrients to Fe supplementation may only marginally improve Hb response compared with Fe supplementation alone .
However , addition of ' other micronutrients ' may have a negative effect .
Routine addition of unselected multiple micronutrients to Fe therefore appears unjustified for nutritional anaemia control programmes
OBJECTIVES To study the effect of combining multiple ( two or more ) micronutrients with Fe supplementation on Hb response , when compared with placebo and with Fe supplementation , in children .
Long-term evaluation of a micronutrient-fortified biscuit used for addressing micronutrient deficiencies in primary school children.
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the long-term effect on micronutrient status of a beta-carotene- , iron- and iodine-fortified biscuit given to primary school children as school feeding . DESIGN Children receiving the fortified biscuit were followed in a longitudinal study for 2.5 years ( n = 108 ) ; in addition , cross-sectional data from three subsequent surveys conducted in the same school are reported . SETTING A rural community in KwaZulu-Natal , South Africa . SUBJECTS Children aged 6 - 11 years attending the primary school where the biscuit was distributed . RESULTS There was a significant improvement in serum retinol , serum ferritin , haemoglobin , transferrin saturation and urinary iodine during the first 12 months of the biscuit intervention . However , when the school reopened after the summer holidays , all variables , except urinary iodine , returned to pre-intervention levels . Serum retinol increased again during the next 9 months , but was significantly lower in a subsequent cross-sectional survey carried out directly after the summer holidays ; this pattern was repeated in two further cross-sectional surveys . Haemoglobin gradually deteriorated at each subsequent assessment , as did serum ferritin ( apart from a slight increase at the 42-month assessment at the end of the school year ) . CONCLUSIONS This study has shown that fortification of a biscuit with beta-carotene at a level of 50 % of the Recommended Dietary Allowance ( RDA ) was enough to maintain serum retinol concentrations from day to day , but not enough to sustain levels during the long school holiday break . Other long-term solutions , such as local food production programmes combined with nutrition education , should also be examined . The choice of the iron compound used as fortificant in the biscuit needs further investigation
Synthesized evidence indicates that addition of multiple micronutrients to Fe supplementation may only marginally improve Hb response compared with Fe supplementation alone .
However , addition of ' other micronutrients ' may have a negative effect .
Routine addition of unselected multiple micronutrients to Fe therefore appears unjustified for nutritional anaemia control programmes
OBJECTIVES To study the effect of combining multiple ( two or more ) micronutrients with Fe supplementation on Hb response , when compared with placebo and with Fe supplementation , in children .