USE OF FORTIFIED POWDERED MILK FOR IRON-D EFICIENT ANEMIA IN CHILDRENSEEN AT A BASIC HEALTH-CARE UNIT

This study was undertaken to verify the influence of the use of iron a nd Vitamin C fortified powdered whole milk on the hemoglobin levels of 238 children, aged 6 to 18 months, seen at a Basic Health Care Unit i n the State of Sao Paulo. The powdered milk was fortified with 9 mg of iron (ferrous sulfate) and 65 mg of Vitamin C for each 100 g of powde r. 4 kg/month were distributed to children under one year and 2 kg/mon th to those over one year of age. Clinical, anthropometric and hematol ogical (hemoglobin level measurements) evaluations were performed at t he onset of the study and at three month intervals after the beginning of the suplementation At the end of the trial, there was still enough milk available to extend the intervention for a group of 39 children who had presented the worst evolution in the first six months. At the onset of the study, 72.6% of the children presented anemia. After 3 an d 6 months, these percentages had decreased to 38.9% and 18.5%, repect ively. Among the children that were followed-up for 9 months, ther wer e only 2.5% who presented anemia at the end of the intervention. The h ighest prevalences were found in the 6 to 12 months age group and the best results in the 10 to 18 month group. There was intrafamilial dilu tion of the milk in 30.7% of the cases. With or without intrafamilial milk sharing, there were significant decreases in anemia occurrences w ith no differences between the two groups. The use of fortified milk d id not affect the children nutritional condition. This study permitted the conclusion thar the fortification of foodstuffs, besides being th e method of election for the prevention of iron deficiency, is an exce llent alternative for the treatment of and recovery from ion deficient anemia in children under two years of age.