DIETARY IRON AND MORBIDITY FROM RESPIRATORY INFECTION

Abstract

To the Editor: The article by Andelman and Sered entitled Utilization of Dietary Iron by Term Infants ( Amer J Dis Child 111 :45-55, 1966) suggests that infants fed an iron-containing formula have fewer respiratory infections than those fed an evaporated milk formula. Subsequently this article was mentioned in an editorial on iron deficiency in infants, 1 and in an advertisement for a modified milk food with iron (Similac) which appeared several times in a number of prominent medical journals. The advertisement proclaims new evidence (that) infant morbidity (is) reduced with adequate iron intake; a finding of broad clinical significance if true. While Andelman and Sered may have demonstrated that the addition of iron to the diet reduces the incidence of iron deficiency anemia, they give no satisfactory data to substantiate their findings regarding morbidity. The only information related to infant morbidity is presented in a bar graph (Fig 10) showing