Iron Deficiency Anemia
Conditions
Keywords
iron deficiency anemia, infant behavior, infant development
Brief summary
The purpose of this study was to determine if a home-based intervention to foster child development improved behavior and development in infants with IDA.
Detailed description
Iron-deficiency anemia (IDA) is associated with alterations in infant behavior and development that may not correct with iron therapy. The purpose of this study was to determine if a home-based intervention to foster child development improved behavior and development in infants with IDA. IDA and non-anemic infants were randomly assigned to a year of intervention or surveillance only. Infants were enrolled and began study participation at 6 or 12 months. All infants were treated with oral iron and visited weekly to record iron intake, feeding, and health (surveillance). For infants randomized to intervention, the weekly home visit included an hour-long program fostering child development by supporting the mother-infant relationship. Psychologists, unaware of iron status or intervention assignment, assessed cognitive, motor, and social-emotional development (Bayley Scales) at the beginning, midpoint, and end of the year.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALHome stimulation
Weekly visit of one hour to the home over the course of one year to foster the mother-child relationship.
BEHAVIORALSurveillance
Weekly visits to the home over the course of one year to record iron intake, feeding, and health information.
DIETARY_SUPPLEMENTIron
Six-month-old infants treated orally for 1 y with 15 mg elemental Fe/d as ferrous sulfate. Twelve-month old infants treated orally for a minimum of 6 months with 30 mg elemental Fe/d.
Sponsors
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
6 Months to 12 Months
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* birth weight \>= 3.0kg * singleton full-term birth * routine vaginal delivery * no major congenital anomalies * no major perinatal complications * no photo therapy * no hospitalization for longer than 5 days * no chronic illness * no iron therapy * from 1991-94, infants on \>= 250 ml/day cow milk or formula * from 1994-96, infants could be on \< 250 ml/day cow milk or formula * infants identified as anemic at 6 or 12 months and randomly selected nonanemic infants at 6 and 12 months
Exclusion criteria
* residence outside 4 contiguous working-class communities on outskirts of Santiago, Chile * another infant \<12 months in household * infant in child care * illiterate or psychotic caregiver or no stable caregiver available to accompany the child for appointments. * until mid-1994, exclusive breastfeeding, defined as \>250 mL/d cow milk or formula
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Infant behavior and development | 6, 12, and 18 months; or 12, 18, and 24 months |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Iron-deficiency anemia | 6, 12, and 18 months; or 12, 18 and 24 months |
Countries
Chile
Outcome results
None listed