Comparative study of tolerability and efficacy of iron protein succinylate versus iron hydroxide polymaltose complex in the treatment of iron deficiency in children.

One-hundred children, 48 males and 52 females, mean age +/- SD 39.9 +/- 28.2 months (range 12 to 113) with sideropenia or sideropenic anemia were randomly divided into 2 groups of 50 patients each (groups A and B) and were treated with iron protein succinylate (group A) or iron hydroxide polymaltose complex (group B). Patients of both groups received 4 mg/kg elemental iron, maximally 80 mg daily, for 2 months. Side-effects of therapy and laboratory values (RBC, hematocrit, hemoglobin, MCV, serum iron, total iron binding capacity, and ferritin) were registered before treatment, 30 days after the beginning of therapy as well as after 60 days in order to evaluate tolerability and efficacy of the drugs. Both drugs were well tolerated and showed only few adverse reactions, which were comparable in severity and frequency. Iron protein succinylate led not only to a faster increase of hemoglobin, hematocrit, MCV, serum iron, and ferritin than iron hydroxide polymaltose complex, but the laboratory values remained higher in group A than in B even after 2 months of treatment.