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Reducing Iron Content in Infant Formula from 8 to 2 mg/L Does Not Increase the Risk of Iron Deficiency at 4 or 6 Months of Age: A Randomized Controlled Trial
- Source :
- Nutrients, Vol 13, Iss 3, p 3 (2021), Nutrients, Volume 13, Issue 1
- Publication Year :
- 2021
- Publisher :
- MDPI AG, 2021.
-
Abstract
- Many infant formulas are fortified with iron at 8&ndash<br />14 mg/L whereas breast milk contains about 0.3 mg/L. Another major difference between breast milk and infant formula is its high concentration of lactoferrin, a bioactive iron-binding protein. The aim of the present study was to investigate how reducing the iron content and adding bovine lactoferrin to infant formula affects iron status, health and development. Swedish healthy full-term formula-fed infants (n = 180) were randomized in a double-blind controlled trial. From 6 weeks to 6 months of age, 72 infants received low-iron formula (2 mg/L) fortified with bovine lactoferrin (1.0 g/L) (Lf+), 72 received low-iron formula un-fortified with lactoferrin (Lf&minus<br />) and 36 received standard formula with 8 mg of iron/L and no lactoferrin fortification as controls (CF). Iron status and prevalence of iron deficiency (ID) were assessed at 4 and 6 months. All iron status indicators were unaffected by lactoferrin. At 4 and 6 months, the geometric means of ferritin for the combined low-iron groups compared to the CF-group were 67.7 vs. 88.7 and 39.5 vs. 50.9 &micro<br />g/L, respectively (p = 0.054 and p = 0.056). No significant differences were found for other iron status indicators. In the low-iron group only one infant (0.7%) at 4 months and none at 6 months developed ID. Conclusion: Iron fortification of 2 mg/L is an adequate level during the first half of infancy for healthy term infants in a well-nourished population. Adding lactoferrin does not affect iron status.
- Subjects :
- Male
Pediatrics
Gastroenterology
iron deficiency
0302 clinical medicine
Medicine
030212 general & internal medicine
iron status
education.field_of_study
iron deficiency anemia
Nutrition and Dietetics
Anemia, Iron-Deficiency
biology
Lactoferrin
infants
Pediatrik
infant formula
Iron Deficiencies
Iron deficiency
iron depletion
Female
lcsh:Nutrition. Foods and food supply
medicine.medical_specialty
Iron
growth
Population
Fortification
lcsh:TX341-641
Breast milk
Article
03 medical and health sciences
Double-Blind Method
030225 pediatrics
Internal medicine
Humans
education
iron fortification
Milk, Human
business.industry
iron supplementation
Infant
medicine.disease
Ferritin
Infant formula
Iron-deficiency anemia
gastrointestinal symptoms
Dietary Supplements
Ferritins
biology.protein
business
Food Science
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 20726643
- Volume :
- 13
- Issue :
- 3
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Nutrients
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....8dfaa301c1c38c170a0675b995c02422