Powders reduce anemia and iron deficiency in infants

Women and infants
in Bangui, Africa

Adding a micronutrient powder to food can reduce the risk of anemia and iron deficiency in infants and children, researchers say.

The team conducted a literature review to determine whether these powders improved child health, and they found 8 relevant trials. Together, the trials involved 3748 children living in Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean, where anemia is a public health problem.

The children studied ranged in age from 6 to 23 months, and the studies lasted between 2 and 12 months. The micronutrient powders were single-dose packets—containing between 5 and 15 vitamins and minerals—that were sprinkled onto semi-solid foods immediately before eating.

Overall, the micronutrient powders reduced the risk of anemia by 31% and iron deficiency by 51%, when compared with no intervention or placebo. However, the researchers found little or no evidence that this intervention has an effect on growth, survival, or overall developmental outcomes.

"We still need to know more about possible positive and adverse side effects, as only a few trials reported on this," said lead study author Luz Maria De-Regil, PhD, an epidemiologist at the Department of Nutrition for Health and Development of the World Health Organization.

She and her colleagues also found that the powders had a similar effect to daily iron supplements. However, this observation must be confirmed with further study, as data on this outcome was minimal.

Still, results showed that the micronutrient powders were helpful for infants and young children aged 6 to 23 months, regardless of gender. And the powders were effective whether the intervention lasted 2, 6, or 12 months.

The researchers say the next steps are to determine the best combination of vitamins and minerals to include in the powder, whether to give it daily or intermittently, and the length of treatment time that confers maximum benefit.

The team’s review appears in the first 2011 issue of the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. The review is informing the development of a new World Health Organization guideline that has appeared in the recently launched Library of Evidence of Nutrition Actions.

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