Abstract
Background: Iron deficiency anemia in infants is the most common micronutrient deficiency worldwide. The main cause is low iron intake in the presence of accelerated physiologic growth rate. Objective: The current study aimed at prospectively comparing the efficacy of iron III hydroxide polymaltose syrup (IPS) versus iron III hydroxide polymaltose drops (IPD) in treating iron deficiency among infants attending the hematology outpatient clinic. Our hypothesis was that IPS would be less effective possibly related to the difficulty of giving the medication. Methods: Participants diagnosed with iron deficiency anemia between 11-24 months were randomly assigned to receive either IPS or IPD for 3 months. The main outcome parameter was hemoglobin blood level, while the secondary outcome parameters were: 1) iron; 2) ferritin; 3) transferrin (i.e. total iron binding capacity); 4) mean corpuscular volume; and 5) red blood cell distribution width. Results: Out of the 104 recruited infants, 55 (52%) completed the study: 29 in the IPS group and26 inthe IPD group. There was no significant difference in the main outcome parameter at either 1 or 3 months of treatment: mean hemoglobin was 10.5 versus 10.7 g/dL within a 1 month treatment, P = 0.4; mean hemoglobin was 11.0 versus 11.1 g/dL within a 3 months of treatment, P = 0.59. Likewise, no significant differences were found with respect to the occurrence of side effects. Conclusion: Oral IPD and IPS are equally effective in treating iron deficiency anemia in infants aged 11 - 24 months.
Highlights
Iron deficiency anemia in infants is the most common micronutrient deficiency worldwide
The current study aimed at prospectively comparing the efficacy of iron III hydroxide polymaltose syrup (IPS) versus iron III hydroxide polymaltose drops (IPD) in treating iron deficiency among infants attending the hematologic outpatient clinic of a large tertiary-care paediatric hospital
No significant differences were found between the IPS and IPD groups in any of the demographic characteristics such as gender, gestational age, birth weight and duration of breast feeding (Table 1)
Summary
Iron deficiency anemia in infants is the most common micronutrient deficiency worldwide. Objective: The current study aimed at prospectively comparing the efficacy of iron III hydroxide polymaltose syrup (IPS) versus iron III hydroxide polymaltose drops (IPD) in treating iron deficiency among infants attending the hematology outpatient clinic. IDA, usually due to low intake in the presence of an accelerated growth rate, is a risk factor for developmental delay and disturbed cognitive function in infants These adverse effects may be irreversible and may lead to behavioral problems in childhood and adolescence [4] [5]. The current study aimed at prospectively comparing the efficacy of iron III hydroxide polymaltose syrup (IPS) versus iron III hydroxide polymaltose drops (IPD) in treating iron deficiency among infants attending the hematologic outpatient clinic of a large tertiary-care paediatric hospital. The two preparations were compared for patient compliance and outcome
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