QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Mwanri, L. Articles by Masika, J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Mwanri, L. Articles by Masika, J.

---

Articles

Supplemental Vitamin A Improves Anemia and Growth in Anemic School Children in Tanzania¹

Lillian Mwanri^*,,2, Anthony Worsley^*, Philip Ryan^* and Joseph Masika^**

^* Department of Public Health, University of Adelaide, South Australia, Adelaide 5005, Australia; School Health Program, Ministry of Health, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; ^** Aboriginal Home Care Program, Mile End, South Australia, 5031 Australia and Tanzania Partnership for Child Development, Ocean Road Hospital, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

²To whom correspondence should be addressed.

We conducted a randomized controlled trial of the effects of dietary supplements on anemia, weight and height in 136 anemic school children from a low socioeconomic background in Bagamoyo District schools in Tanzania. The aim of the current study was to investigate the impact of dietary supplements on anemia and anthropometric indices of anemic school children. The supplements were vitamin A alone, iron and vitamin A, iron alone or placebo, administered in a double-blinded design for 3 mo. All supplements were provided with local corn meals. Hemoglobin concentration, body weight and height were measured at baseline and at follow-up after supplementation. Vitamin A supplementation increased the mean hemoglobin concentration by 13.5 g/L compared with 3.5 g/L for placebo [P < 0.0001, 95% confidence interval (CI) 6.19–13.57), the mean body weight by 0.6 kg compared with 0.2 kg for placebo (P < 0.0001, 95% CI 0.19–0.65) and the mean height by 0.4 cm compared with 0.1 cm for placebo (P = 0.0009, 95% CI 0.08–0.42). However, the group of children who received combined vitamin A and iron supplementation had the greatest improvements in all indicators compared with placebo (18.5 g/L, P < 0.0001, 95% CI 14.81–22.23; 0.7 kg, P < 0.0001, 95% CI 0.43–0.88 and 0.4 cm, P < 0.0001, 95% CI 0.22–0.56 for hemoglobin, weight and height, respectively). It is likely that vitamin A supplementation may have a useful role in combating the problems of vitamin A deficiency and anemia, as well as in improving children’s growth, in developing countries.

KEY WORDS: • anemia • rural school children • vitamin A • iron • randomized controlled trial • Tanzania

This article has been cited by other articles:

				U. Ramakrishnan, P. Nguyen, and R. Martorell Effects of micronutrients on growth of children under 5 y of age: meta-analyses of single and multiple nutrient interventions Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, January 1, 2009; 89(1): 191 - 203. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. W. Tengco, P. Rayco-Solon, J. A. Solon, J. N. Sarol Jr., and F. S. Solon Determinants of Anemia among Preschool Children in the Philippines J. Am. Coll. Nutr., April 1, 2008; 27(2): 229 - 243. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. B Zimmermann, R. Biebinger, F. Rohner, A. Dib, C. Zeder, R. F Hurrell, and N. Chaouki Vitamin A supplementation in children with poor vitamin A and iron status increases erythropoietin and hemoglobin concentrations without changing total body iron. Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, September 1, 2006; 84(3): 580 - 586. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				U. Ramakrishnan, N. Aburto, G. McCabe, and R. Martorell Multimicronutrient Interventions but Not Vitamin A or Iron Interventions Alone Improve Child Growth: Results of 3 Meta-Analyses J. Nutr., October 1, 2004; 134(10): 2592 - 2602. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. M. Welch and R. D. Graham Breeding for micronutrients in staple food crops from a human nutrition perspective J. Exp. Bot., February 1, 2004; 55(396): 353 - 364. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]