The impact of weekly iron supplementation on the iron status and growth of adolescent girls in Tanzania.

The authors evaluated the effect of weekly doses of 400 mg of ferrous sulfate for 4 months on the iron status of adolescent girls in a controlled trial in Tanga Tanzania. Supplementation led to a significantly greater increase in serum ferritin compared with the control group (+ 15.6 mcg/l vs. 8.6 mcg/l) (P = 0.002) but there was no significant difference in change in hemoglobin. Children given iron showed a significantly greater weight gain than controls (+2.4 kg vs. +1.4 kg) (P = 0.03). Weekly iron supplementation may be an effective means of increasing iron stores and growth in children vulnerable to iron deficiency. (authors)