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. 2021 Dec 8;8(12):1159.
doi: 10.3390/children8121159.

Association of Infant Feeding Practices with Iron Status and Hematologic Parameters in 6-Month-Old Infants

Chayatat Ruangkit  1 , Nawapat Prachakittikul  2 , Nutthida Hemprachitchai  2 , Oraporn Dumrongwongsiri  3 , Sasivimon Soonsawad  1
Affiliations

Association of Infant Feeding Practices with Iron Status and Hematologic Parameters in 6-Month-Old Infants

Chayatat Ruangkit et al. Children (Basel). .

Abstract

Background: Infants' feeding practices in the first 6 months of life and their association with iron status and hematologic parameters has not been well studied. We aim to evaluate this association.

Methods: In a retrospective chart review, we identified 403 infants who received laboratory screening for anemia at 6-month visits. Infants were categorized into four groups according to feeding practices. Hematologic parameters and incidence of anemia, iron deficiency (ID), and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) were compared.

Results: In total, 105 infants were breastfed (BF), 78 were breastfed with iron supplementation starting at 4 months (BI), 109 were mixed-fed (breast milk and formula) with or without iron supplementation (MF), and 111 were formula-fed (FF). The BF group had the highest incidence of anemia (38.1%), ID (28.6%), and IDA (17.1%) when compared with the other groups (p < 0.001). In multivariate logistic regression, BI, MF, and FF infants had 90.4%, 97.5%, and 96.9% decreased risk of IDA, respectively, with BF infants as a reference group.

Conclusion: The incidence of anemia, ID, and IDA at age 6 months was higher in BF than FF or MF infants. However, iron supplements in BF infants starting at 4 months significantly reduced their ID and IDA incidence.

Keywords: breastfeeding; formula feeding; infant feeding; iron deficiency anemia; iron supplements.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow chart of infants in the study.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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