Effect of routine prophylactic supplementation with iron and folic acid on preschool child mortality in southern Nepal: community-based, cluster-randomised, placebo-controlled trial.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Iron deficiency is widespread in the developing world and is especially common in young children who live on the Indian subcontinent. Supplementation with iron and folic acid alleviates severe anaemia and enhances neurodevelopment in deficient populations, but little is known about the risks of mortality and morbidity associated with supplementation.

Methods

We did a community-based, cluster-randomised, double-masked, placebo-controlled, 2x2 factorial trial in children aged 1-36 months and residing in southern Nepal. We randomly assigned children daily oral supplementation to age 36 months with: iron (12.5 mg) and folic acid (50 microg; n=8337), zinc alone (10 mg), iron, folic acid, and zinc (n=9230), or placebo (n=8683); children aged 1-11 months received half

SUBMITTER: Tielsch JM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2367123 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature