Treament and prevention of anemia with ferrous sulfate plus folic acid in children attending daycare centers in Goiânia, Goiás State, Brazil: a randomized controlled trial

Resumo

The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of anemia and the therapeutic and prophylactic response to ferrous sulfate and fo lic acid. A double-blind, randomized, controlled clinical trial was conducted with 196 children 6 to 24 months of age enrolled in municipal day care centers in Goiânia, Goiás State, Brazil. The children were assigned to two treatment groups that received a daily dose (5 times a week) of ei ther 4.2mg/kg/day of ferrous sulfate + folic acid (50µg) or 4.2mg/kg/day of ferrous sulfate + fo lic acid placebo. One of the prevention groups received 1.4mg/kg/day of ferrous sulfate + folic acid (50µg/day) and the other 1.4mg/kg/day of ferrous sulfate + folic acid placebo. Supplemen tation lasted approximately three months. Base line anemia prevalence was 56.1% (95%CI: 48.9- 63.1). After treatment, anemia prevalence in the folic acid group (14%) was lower than in the placebo group (34.9%) (p = 0.02). After prophy laxis in the non-anemic children, the incidence of anemia did not differ between the groups, but there was an increase in hemoglobin level in the folic acid group (p = 0.003). Iron plus folic acid was effective for the treatment of anemia and improvement of hemoglobin level in non-ane mic children.

Descrição

Palavras-chave

Nutritional epidemiology, Child day care centers, Anemia, Ferrous sulfate, Folic acid

Citação

HADLER, Maria Claret Costa Monteiro et al. Treament and prevention of anemia with ferrous sulfate plus folic acid in children attending daycare centers in Goiânia, Goiás State, Brazil: a randomized controlled trial. Cadernos de Saúde Pública, Rio de Janeiro, v. 24, supl. 2, p. S259-S271, 2008.