[Impact of the provision of fortified cornmeal on anemia in preschoolers in the indigenous areas of Mexico].

Objective: To estimate changes in anemia status in preschool age children at 9 months after the provision of soy- and iron-fortified cornflour.
Methods: A non-experimental pre-post evaluation study was performed in a sample of 98 boys and 96 boys aged between 6 and 24 months. We analyzed demographic, anthropometric, and biochemical variables.
Results: During the 9-month period, the hemoglobin level increased from 11.0 to 11.9 mg/dL (p<0,001). The prevalence of anemia (hemoglobin <11.0mg/dL) decreased from 52.6% to 25.3% (p<0,001). The indicators of height for age and body mass index changed from -2.1 (-5.5 to 2.8) to -2.3 (-6.5 to 1.3) (p<0,001) and from 0,4 (-3.1 to 2.9) to 0,7 (-2.2 to 3.9) (p<0,001), respectively.
Conclusions: The decreased prevalence of anemia suggests that the provision of soy- (3%) and iron-fortified flour is a viable alternative for combating childhood anemia.
(Copyright © 2012 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.)