Iron deficiency is fairly common in childhood and leads to many cases of anemia in young children. Paul L. Geltman, et al, opens the article with an explanation of the prevalence of iron deficiency as well as the dangers associated with it. Iron deficiency can cause cognitive impairment and it is often irreversible. Further, iron deficiency affects up to 9% of children aged 1 to 2 years in the United States and anemia affects 3% of children in the same age group.
As a result, the authors proposed that a multivitamin may be affective in preventing iron deficiency and anemia. The study included healthy, full term infants who were given a series of multivitamins. The double blind randomized trial allowed on group of infants to receive iron as part of the multivitamin while the other group did not receive iron. These were given to infants by mouth every day for three months (Geltman, et al, 2004, 86).
At the conclusion of the study, the authors comment that the multivitamins did not reduce the prevalence of either iron deficiency or anemia. Instead, they discovered that iron deficiency or anemia present in the mother during pregnancy did have an affect on the levels of iron deficiency and anemia in young children (Geltman, et al, 2004, 90). This study has valuable implications for pediatricians across the country.
The discovery that multivitamins containing iron do not have a positive affect on childhood iron deficiency or anemia will allow researchers to look further for ways to reduce the instances of these problems. It can be agreed that childhood iron deficiency is certainly a problem that must be dealt with immediately and this research study can contribute to future research studies. Primary prevention methods would begin during pregnancy rather than after a baby is born (Geltman, et al, 2004, 90).
Another area of research may examine the ability of small children to absorb iron from multivitamins and attempt to find other ways to administer iron to see if that increases iron levels.
Geltman, Paul L. ; Meyers, Alan F. ; Mehta, Supriya D. ; Brugnara, Carlo; Villon, Ivan; Yen, Wu A. ; & Bauchner, Howard. (2004). Daily Multivitamins With Iron to Prevent Anemia in High-Risk Infants: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Pediatrics, 114 (1): 86 – 96.