Long-term supplementation with iron does not enhance growth in malnourished Bangladeshi children

To evaluate the effect of long-term oral iron supplementation on growth, 25 0 children aged 6-71 mo were studied in a randomized double-blind controlle d trial. The intervention group received 125 mg of ferrous gluconate (15 mg elemental iron) plus multivitamins (vitamins A, D and C); the comparison g roup received only multivitamins daily for 12 mo. Weight (kg) and height (c m) were measured every month. Eighty three percent of the children continue d the treatment for one year. The weight increment over the 12-mo period wa s 1.35 +/- 0.65 kg (mean +/- SD) in the intervention group and 1.39 +/- 0.5 4 kg in the comparison group. The height increments were 6.01 +/- 1.47 and 6.18 +/- 1.58 cm in the intervention and comparison groups, respectively. M ean weight and height increments did not differ; in an analysis stratified according to different age and nutritional categories, they also did not di ffer between the two groups, indicating that long-term iron supplementation does not increase growth in children.