de Silva Angela, Atukorala Sunethra, Weerasinghe Irangani, Ahluwalia Namanjeet
Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Am J Clin Nutr. 2003 Jan;77(1):234-41. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/77.1.234.
Iron deficiency anemia and recurrent infections are common among children of low socioeconomic status.
The objective was to evaluate the effects of iron supplementation on iron status and morbidity in children with or without infection.
Children aged 5-10 y were recruited for a randomized, controlled, double-blind study from outpatients attending the Children's Hospital, Colombo, Sri Lanka. Clinical, inflammatory, nutritional, and iron statuses were determined at baseline and after the intervention. Children with a history of recurrent upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) and with laboratory and clinical evidence of a current URTI constituted the infection group (n = 179), and children without infection constituted the control group (n = 184). Subjects in both groups were supplemented with ferrous sulfate (60 mg Fe) or placebo once daily for 8 wk. Morbidity from URTIs, the number of gastrointestinal infections, and compliance were recorded every 2 wk.
The overall prevalence of anemia was 52.6%. Iron supplementation significantly improved iron status by increasing hemoglobin (P < 0.001) and serum ferritin (P < 0.001) concentrations from baseline values in the children with or without infection. There was no significant improvement in iron status in the children who received placebo. In both the infection group and the control group, the mean number of URTI episodes and the total number of days sick with an URTI during the period of intervention were significantly lower (P < 0.005 and P < 0.001, respectively) in the children who received iron supplements than in those who received placebo.
Iron supplementation significantly improves iron status and reduces morbidity from URTIs in children with or without infection.
缺铁性贫血和反复感染在社会经济地位低下的儿童中很常见。
评估补铁对有或无感染儿童的铁状态及发病率的影响。
从斯里兰卡科伦坡儿童医院的门诊患者中招募5至10岁的儿童进行一项随机、对照、双盲研究。在基线和干预后测定临床、炎症、营养和铁状态。有反复上呼吸道感染（URTI）病史且有当前URTI的实验室和临床证据的儿童组成感染组（n = 179），无感染的儿童组成对照组（n = 184）。两组受试者均每日补充一次硫酸亚铁（60毫克铁）或安慰剂，持续8周。每2周记录URTI的发病率、胃肠道感染次数和依从性。
贫血的总体患病率为52.6%。补铁通过提高有或无感染儿童的血红蛋白（P < 0.001）和血清铁蛋白（P < 0.001）浓度，显著改善了铁状态。接受安慰剂的儿童铁状态无显著改善。在感染组和对照组中，接受补铁的儿童在干预期间的URTI发作平均次数和因URTI患病的总天数均显著低于接受安慰剂的儿童（分别为P < 0.005和P < 0.001）。
补铁显著改善了有或无感染儿童的铁状态，并降低了URTI的发病率。
