Iron supplementation and infection: another important issue remains to be answered
The systematic review of Gera and Sachdev is an important contribution that reassures the safety of giving iron to anaemic children.
Another issue for which there is not enough information based on sound clinical research is if, in children with an active infection, iron supplementation increases the risk of aggravating it. Current recommendatios support withholding iron supplementation until the infection has been abated, particularly in children with severe malnutrition.
Probably it is convenient to continue adhering this recommendation until more information confirms it is adequate or not. Maybe it is time to perform randomized controlled trials in children with iron deficient anaemia and infection, allocating them to either iron or placebo.
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests:
No competing interests
18 November 2002
Luis Huicho
Professor of Paediatrics, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos and Instituto de Salud del Niño
Rapid Response:
Iron supplementation and infection: another important issue remains to be answered
The systematic review of Gera and Sachdev is an important contribution that reassures the safety of giving iron to anaemic children.
Another issue for which there is not enough information based on sound clinical research is if, in children with an active infection, iron supplementation increases the risk of aggravating it. Current recommendatios support withholding iron supplementation until the infection has been abated, particularly in children with severe malnutrition.
Probably it is convenient to continue adhering this recommendation until more information confirms it is adequate or not. Maybe it is time to perform randomized controlled trials in children with iron deficient anaemia and infection, allocating them to either iron or placebo.
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests