IRON FORTIFICATION OF INFANT MILK FORMULA : THE EFFECT ON IRON STATUS AND IMMUNE FUNCTION

SummaryWe conducted a randomized double-blind trial of a cow's milk infant formula with increased iron fortification in order to confirm its safety and to measure its effects on iron status and immune function. A group of full-term, well nourished and healthy infants was followed from the age of 3 months to 1 year. A control group of 74 infants was given a commercially available infant formula containing 8.3 mg Fe/100 g. The test group of 75 infants received a similar formula with 40 mg Fe/100 g. The formula with the extra iron proved to be safe and, when compared with the control group, the children in the test group had significantly improved iron status as reflected by the proportion of children classed as normal (25 of 61 cf. 44 of 65; p < 0.003), and by the mean values of the haemoglobin concentration (11.5 cf. 11.9 g/dl; p = 0.04), red cell distribution width (15.5% cf. 14.4%;p = 0.0005), red cell zinc protoporphyrin (3.4 cf. 4.0 μ/g Hb; p = 0.04) and ferritin (29 cf. 17.3 μg/1; p= 0.004). The extra...