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Effect of micronutrient supplementation on the nutritional
and immune status of school-going children with iron
deficiency anemia
Narayanasamy Sangeetha1* and S. Premakumari2
1Department
of food science and technology, Pondicherry University,
Puducherry- 605 014
2Department
of food science and nutrition, Avinashilingam University for
Women, Coimbatore - 641 043
*Corresponding author. E-mail: Praba_sangeen@yahoo.com. Tel:
9444993091.
Accepted 20
November, 2009 |
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Iron
deficiency anemia is a major public health problem in India
widely prevalent among children.
The
present study was aimed to reduce the prevalence of
iron deficiency anemia
and also
to improve the immune status, school performance through
dietary supplementation with micronutrient rich foods (wheat
germ, rice flakes, gingelly seeds, microwave oven dehydrated
carrot powder, jaggery).The present study was conducted on
children in the age group of 7 - 9 years (N: 1675) from
primary corporation school located in the urban areas of
Chennai district. Out of 1675 children,
1151(68.7%)
children had exclusive signs and symptoms of anemia. The
blood hemoglobin levels revealed that 662 children were
moderately anemic and the remaining 15 and 74 children
showed severe and mild signs and symptoms of anemia
respectively.
Out of 662 children who were moderately anemic, 150 children
were randomly selected for the supplementation study. They
were further divided into three groups of 50 children each
to receive the food based supplement (Micronutrient rich
balls), synthetic supplement (Riconia tablet, a
micronutrient fortified tablet) and the third group
constituted the control group. The supplementation study was
for a period of six months. The impact of supplementation
was studied initially and at the end of 6 months in terms of
anthropometric measurements, morbidity pattern, dietary
assessment and biochemical analysis. The results revealed
that, supplementation in the food form resulted in
significant improvement in the parameters studied. The
findings of this research leads to the conclusion beyond
doubt that the food based approach will serve as an
effective strategy to combat deficiencies and to promote
health and well being of the children and ensure global
security.
Key
words:
Childhood malnutrition, blood hemoglobin, serum retinol,
serum zinc, immune profile. |
