Improving iron status in children in poor environments

doi:10.1136/bmj.325.7373.1125

BMJ 2002;325:1125 ( 16 November )

Editorials

Improving iron status in children in poor environments

Rigorous review supports the safety of iron interventions among anaemic children

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Iron deficiency among children is common, especially in less developed countries, and affects psychomotor development.¹But the potential risk is that improving iron status may stimulatethe development of infection. ² ³ Although iron supplementsimprove cognition and growth ⁴ ⁵ of deficient children, theycan be harmful. Microbial proliferation is influenced by the ironconcentration of the culture medium⁶ and iron supplements canproduce oxidative stress.⁷ Over the years increased infectionrates have been reported after iron intervention.⁸ Bad newsalways travels faster than good news and clinicians and publichealth professionals have not given wholehearted support to programmesfor prevention of iron deficiency when they are introduced inpopulations with a high prevalence ofinfection.

A careful, systematic review in this issue (p 1142) by Gera and Sachdev of a large number of iron intervention trials providesconsiderable new insights.⁹ Using strict criteria they identified47 randomised controlled trials and analysed 28 $---$ 22 . . . [Full text of this article]

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