Iron supplementation of breastfed infants from an early age.

Study answer

What this study found

Iron supplementation transiently improved iron status during the supplementation period but did not improve hemoglobin or produce lasting hematologic benefit after supplementation ended. Plasma ferritin declined less in the iron group, with significant differences at 4 and 5.5 months for adjusted ferritin and at 5.5 and 7.5 months for unadjusted ferritin; soluble transferrin receptor was lower at 5.5 months (P = 0.005), and ln(sTfR/PF) was better at 5.5 months (P = 0.001) and 7.5 months (P = 0.006). Hemoglobin did not differ at any age, and later differences in RDW and MCV were modest. The…

Study & population

Randomized, placebo-controlled trial in healthy term infants who were exclusively breastfed at enrollment at 1 month of age in Iowa, United States.

Intervention

Infants in the active arm received 7 mg/day of iron as ferrous sulfate in a multivitamin preparation (Tri-Vi-Sol with Iron), given orally as 0.7 mL drops directly into the mouth once daily at the beginning of a feeding from 1 to 5.5 months of age.

Key limitation

The trial was small and underpowered to determine whether early iron supplementation prevents iron deficiency or iron deficiency anemia.

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Original abstract