Effects of Nutrient Fortified Complementary Food Supplements on Anemia of Infants and Young Children in Poor Rural of Gansu

Objective To assess the effectiveness of complementary food supplements with protein and multi-micronutrients on hemoglobin and anemia in infants and young children. Methods In 5 poor counties of Gansu, 984 children aged 6-12 months were enrolled and divided into two groups. In addition to the usual home-made complementary food, all the children were fed one sachet of either Formula Ⅰ or Formula Ⅱ supplements each day. Protein and micronutrients were provided in Formula Ⅰ, while the same energy intake was secured in Formula Ⅱ as in Formula Ⅰ. A massive dose of vitamin A was supplemented to all the children every 6 months. Hemoglobin test was done at the same time. Results Prevalence of anemia was about 35% in both Formula Ⅰ and Formula Ⅱ group at baseline, and there were no differences in hemoglobin concentration between the two groups, During the 6-month and 12-month supplementation, hemoglobin of children in Formula Ⅰ group was higher than that in Formula Ⅱ group （P〈0.05）, and hemoglobin increase in Formula Ⅰ group was significantly higher than that in Formula Ⅱ group （P〈0.001）. After 6- and 12-mouth supplementation, the prevalence of anemia in Formula Ⅰ group dropped to 19.1% and 8.2% respectively, and it was 28.0% and 12.4% in Formula 2 group. The prevalence of anemia in Formula Ⅰ group was significantly lower than that in Formula Ⅱ group （P〈0.05）. After adjusting age and hemoglobin level at baseline, the hemoglobin increase at age of 24 months in formula 1 group was higher （10.7 g/L vs 7.9 g/L, P〈0.0001）. Conclusion Micronutrient fortified complementary food supplements, with large-dose vitamin A, is effective for children aged 6-12 months in terms of iron deficiency prevention.

Effect of Na Fe EDTA-Fortified Soy Sauce on Anemia Prevalence in China: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Objective To assess the effect of sodium iron ethylenediaminetetraacetate （NaFeEDTA）-fortified soy sauce on anemia prevalence in the Chinese population. Methods A systematic review was performed to identify potential studies by searching the electronic databases of PubMed, Cochrane Library, WHO Library, HighWire, CNKI, and other sources. The selection criteria included randomized controlled trials that compared the efficacy of NaFeEDTA-fortified soy sauce with that of non-fortified soy sauce. Anemia rates and hemoglobin levels were the outcomes of interest. Inclusion decisions, quality assessment, and data extraction were performed by two reviewers independently. A total of 16 studies met the inclusion criteria for anemia rate analysis, of which 12 studies met the inclusion criteria for hemoglobin analysis. All included studies assessed the effect of NaFeEDTA-fortified soy sauce on anemia rates and hemoglobin concentrations. Results After the intervention, the hemoglobin concentration increased and anemia rates decreased significantly as compared with the non-fortified soy sauce groups. For anemia rates, data from 16 studies could be pooled, and the pooled estimate odds ratio was 0.25 （95% CI 0.19-0.35）. For hemoglobin concentrations, data from 12 studies could be pooled, and the pooled weighted mean difference was 8.81 g/L （95% CI 5.96-11.67）. Conclusion NaFeEDTA-fortified soy sauce has a positive effect on anemia control and prevention in the at-risk population.