Ferrous Gluconate and Ferrous Sulfate Added to a Complementary Food Distributed by the Mexican Nutrition Program Oportunidades Have a Comparable Efficacy to Reduce Iron Deficiency in Toddlers

摘要

Objective: To assess the efficacy of ferrous sulfate (FS) and ferrous gluconate (FG) as fortificants for a complementary baby food (Nutrisano) to improve the iron status and to reduce the prevalence of anemia in toddlers.Patients and Methods: Toddlers 12 to 30 months old were randomly assigned to receive either of 3 versions of Nutrisano fortified with FS or FG or not fortified (CG) for 6 months. In final blood samples, the concentrations of hemoglobin, serum ferritin, and soluble transferrin receptors (sTfR) were determined. The effects of treatment on final hemoglobin, ferritin, and sTfR were assessed by multivariate analysis. Results: No significant changes in hemoglobin were observed within or among treatment groups. The prevalence of high sTfR decreased 7.1 percentage points in FG, increased 13.1 percentage points in FS, and increased 0.7 percentage points in CG (P > 0.05).