Research paper
A community-based randomized controlled trial of iron and zinc supplementation in Indonesian infants: interactions between iron and zinc.
Study answer
What this study found
Daily supplementation improved micronutrient status, but the combined iron-plus-zinc regimen was less effective than single-nutrient supplementation. At 12 months, hemoglobin differed across groups (Fe 119.4 ± 15.3 g/L; Zn 115.7 ± 15.2; Fe+Zn 115.3 ± 13.9; placebo 113.5 ± 16.0; P=0.012), ferritin was highest with iron alone (46.5 ± 2.0 g/L; P<0.001), and serum zinc was highest with zinc alone (11.58 ± 1.41 mol/L; P<0.001). Two-factor ANOVA showed significant iron-zinc interaction for hemoglobin (P=0.021) and serum ferritin (P=0.032), consistent with iron reducing zinc effectiveness in the…
- Study & population
- Community-based randomized controlled trial in healthy singleton infants in Central Java, Indonesia, enrolled at about 6 months of age and followed to 12 months.
- Intervention
- Children received daily oral syrup from 6 to 12 months of age.
- Key limitation
- Arm sizes were modest and follow-up lasted only 6 months, limiting precision and long-term inference.
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Open PDFOriginal abstract
BACKGROUND Combined supplementation with iron and zinc during infancy may be effective in preventing deficiencies of these micronutrients, but knowledge of their potential interactions when given together is insufficient. OBJECTIVE The goal was to co…