Growth in non-anemic infants supplemented with different prophylactic iron doses.

OBJECTIVE To compare the effects of different prophylactic iron doses on the growth and nutritional status of non-anemic infants. METHODS Prospective randomized study. Infants aged 5.0 to 6.9 months who met the inclusion criteria and showed capillary hemoglobin >or= 11 g/dL were randomly allocated into three groups who received the following prophylactic doses of iron supplement (ferrous sulfate): 1 mg/kg/day (n = 39); 2 mg/kg/day (n = 36); and 25 mg/week (n = 39). This supplementation was given during 16 weeks. Both weight and length were measured. The nutritional status was evaluated by comparing z scores for weight/age, length/age and weight/length based on the World Health Organization (2006) references. Morbidity information was collected during monthly visits. RESULTS The groups showed similar nutritional status before supplementation. There were no differences in daily nutrient intake among groups. During the study, weight and length gain, and increments in anthropometric indices did not differ statistically among supplemented groups. The occurrence and duration of morbidity episodes did not differ statistically among groups. In general, improvements were observed in both weight/age and weight/length indices in the population under study, whereas length/age showed no differences before and after supplementation. CONCLUSION Different prophylactic iron doses had no different effects on the growth and nutritional status of non-anemic infants.