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Iron status in 6-y-old children: associations with growth and earlier iron status

Abstract

Objective:

To investigate the iron status of 6-y-old children and its association with growth and earlier iron status.

Design:

In a cross-sectional study, children's body size measurements were recorded and blood samples taken near their sixth birthday.

Subjects:

A sample of 188 children, randomly selected in two previous studies, was contacted, and 139(74%) agreed to participate.

Results:

No children had iron deficiency anaemia, one was iron-deficient (serum ferritin (SF) <15 μg/l and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) <76 fl but 16% had depleted iron stores (SF<15 μg/l). Iron status indices were generally higher than at 1 and 2 y, but correlation was seen between iron status indices at 6 y and earlier values. Haemoglobin concentration at 6 y was negatively associated with length gain from birth to 1 y (B±s.e.=−1.269±0.452; P=0.007; adj. R2=0.119) (n=52), and proportional weight gain from birth to 1 y was higher among children with SF<15 μg/l at 6 y (295±33%; n=10) than those with SF≥15 μg/l (258±31%; n=49) (P=0.001). MCV at 2 y predicted weight gain from 2 to 6 y (B±s.e.=1.721±0.581; P=0.005; adj. R2=0.153) (n=44); also, children with SF<15 μg/l at 6 y (n=9) gained 7.8±1.2 kg from 2 to 6 y, while children with SF≥15 μg/l (n=35) gained 9.6±2.8 kg (P=0.007), furthermore a difference was seen in proportional weight gain from 2 to 6 y between children with depleted iron stores at 2 y and not, or 156±13 vs 169±18% (P=0.038).

Conclusion:

The results suggest that low iron status at 1 and 2 y might lead to slower growth up to 6 y of age. Low iron status at 1 and 2 y and/or slower growth from 1 and 2 y up to 6 y might contribute to worse iron status at 6 y, while faster growth in early childhood is related to lower iron status.

Sponsorship:

The Icelandic Research Council.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the staff in the laboratories at Landspitali-University Hospital in Reykjavik, Iceland.

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Correspondence to B S Gunnarsson.

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Guarantors: BS Gunnarrson.

Contributors: BSG a nutritionist, who worked on the data collection, calculations and statistical analysis and the writing of the paper. IT is a professor of human nutrition, she is the project leader, she designed the study and participated actively in data collection, interpretation of the results and writing of the paper. GP is a paediatrician, he participated in the project planning and took care of all blood sampling.

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Gunnarsson, B., Thorsdottir, I. & Palsson, G. Iron status in 6-y-old children: associations with growth and earlier iron status. Eur J Clin Nutr 59, 761–767 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602137

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