Fortifying Milk with Ferrous Gluconate and Zinc Oxide in a Public Nutrition Program Reduced the Prevalence of Anemia in Toddlers
Open Access
- 1 October 2006
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Elsevier BV in Journal of Nutrition
- Vol. 136 (10), 2633-2637
- https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/136.10.2633
Abstract
We aimed to assess the efficacy of whole cow's milk fortified with ferrous gluconate and zinc oxide, along with ascorbic acid, in reducing the prevalence of anemia and improving iron status of low income children 10–30 mo of age. Healthy children were randomly assigned to drink 400 mL/d of cow's whole milk, either fortified milk (FM) with 5.8 mg/400 mL of iron as ferrous gluconate, 5.28 mg/400 mL of zinc as zinc oxide, and 48 mg/400 mL of ascorbic acid, or nonfortified milk (NFM) with 0.2 mg iron/400 mL, 1.9 mg zinc/400 mL, and 6.8 mg ascorbic acid/400 mL. Hemoglobin, serum ferritin, soluble transferrin receptors (TfR), and C-reactive protein concentrations were measured at baseline and 6 mo after intervention. The prevalence of anemia declined from 41.4 to 12.1% (P < 0.001), or 29 percentage points, in the FM group; there was no change in the NFM group. Hemoglobin (coefficient = 0.22, P < 0.01) was positively and TfR (coefficient = −0.29, P < 0.001) negatively associated with treatment, controlling for their respective baseline values, age, and gender. Treatment with FM was negatively associated with the likelihood of being anemic (pseudo R2 = 0.085, P < 0.03) after 6 mo of intervention. Ferrous gluconate added to whole cow's milk as a fortificant along with ascorbic acid is efficacious in reducing the prevalence of anemia and in improving iron status of Mexican toddlers. The results of this study lead to broadening a subsidized FM distribution program to 4.2 million beneficiary children 1–11 y of age in Mexico.Keywords
This publication has 11 references indexed in Scilit:
- Zinc and iron nutrition in Chilean children fed fortified milk provided by the complementary national food programNutrition, 2004
- A community-based randomized controlled trial of iron and zinc supplementation in Indonesian infants: interactions between iron and zincThe American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2003
- Prevalence of anemia in children 1 to 12 years of age: results from a nationwide probabilistic survey in MexicoSalud Publica de Mexico, 2003
- Effects of Iron and Zinc Supplementation in Indonesian Infants on Micronutrient Status and GrowthJournal of Nutrition, 2001
- Solubility and relative absorption of copper, iron, and zinc in two milk-based liquid infant formulaeInternational Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, 2001
- Hemoglobin correction factors for estimating the prevalence of iron deficiency anemia in pregnant women residing at high altitudes in Bolivia.Revista Panamericana de Salud Pública, 1999
- Repleting hemoglobin in iron deficiency anemia in young children through liquid milk fortification with bioavailable iron amino acid chelate.Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 1998
- Absorption by 1-Year-Old Children of an Iron Supplement Given with Cow's Milk or JuicePediatric Research, 1996
- Prevention of iron deficiency by milk fortification. II A field trial with a full-fat acidified milkThe American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1988
- Nonelemental SourcesPublished by Elsevier BV ,1985