Ac. Bramhagen et I. Axelsson, Iron status of children in southern Sweden: effects of cow's milk and follow-on formula, ACT PAEDIAT, 88(12), 1999, pp. 1333-1337
Aim. The objective of the study was to investigate iron status in children
in relation to intake of cow's milk and follow-on formula. Methods. In all,
367 healthy 2.5-y-old children were enrolled in the study. The amounts of
cow's milk and formula consumed were recorded. B haemoglobin, S-ferritin, S
-iron, total iron binding capacity and mean corpuscular volume were analyse
d. Results. Seven percent of the children had iron deficiency anaemia (Hb <
110g/l) and 10% had S-ferritin <12 mu g/l Furthermore, 10% of the children
were iron deficient, with or without anaemia. Children with iron deficiency
had a higher intake of cow's milk (382 mi, 95% confidence interval (CI) 29
4-496, vs. 257 mi, CI 232-272, p < 0.0001), and fewer consumed follow-on fo
rmula (11% vs. 43%, p = 0.0002) compared to those with sufficient iron. Con
clusion. Iron deficiency is still common during childhood in Sweden. Intake
of cow's milk is significantly higher in children with iron deficiency. In
contrast, iron deficiency is less frequent among those consuming follow-on
formula.