The Effects of Iron Supplements and Cereal Intake on the Iron Nutritional Status in Children in Social Welfare Institutions

ABSTRACT

The study was designed to assess the effect of iron and cereal supplementation on children's iron nutritional status in social welfare institutions. Dietary survey was carried out methods of food weighing and record by interview (n = 74). A nutritional intervention study was carried out through supplementing iron supplements and cereal for 4 weeks in 4 - 12 years old children. Children received daily 40 mg elemental Fe as iron protein succinylate (n = 23) and 3.6 mg elemental Fe as 100 g cereal (n = 24), respectively. Blood samples were drawn before and after supplementation. Nutrients which children's intake was less than two-thirds of the RDA were vitamin A, vitamin B-1, vitamin B-2, calcium and iron. The mean daily intake of iron was 5.1 mg for male and 4.9 mg for female, and 52.3% for male and 45.4% for female of Korean RDA. The proportion of children with iron depletion assessed by TIBC (> 360 microgram/dl) and serum ferritin (< 20 ng/ml) were 56.6% and 58.7%, respectively. The proportion of children with the iron deficient erythropoiesis assessed by serum iron (< 70 microgram/dl), Hb (< 12 g/dl), Hct (< 36%) were 76.0%, 58.7%, 64.0%, respectively. After iron supplements treatment, Hb (p < 0.001), Hct (p < 0.001), serum iron (p < 0.001), transferrin saturation (p < 0.001) and serum ferritin (p < 0.01) increase significantly and only TIBC decreased slightly. After cereal supplementation, in anemic children, Hct (p < 0.001), serum iron (p < 0.001) and transferrin saturation (p < 0.001) were significantly increased. The effect of iron supplements and cereal supplementation in children with iron deficient erythropoiesis were more effective to improve the iron nutritional status than children with iron depletion. It was concluded that cereal supplementation program in anemic children was also effective to improve iron nutritional status.