Paediatrica Indonesiana
Vol 41 No 7-8 (2001): July 2001

Iron status in breast-fed infants

I Gusti Ayu Asih Ratnadi (Department of Child Health, University of Udayana Medical School/Sanglah Hospital, Denpasar, Bali)
Soetjiningsih Soetjiningsih (Department of Child Health, University of Udayana Medical School/Sanglah Hospital, Denpasar, Bali)



Article Info

Publish Date
30 Aug 2001

Abstract

Ninety infants were selected stratified proportionally random sampling and they met the inclusion criteria. Iron status was determined by the serum ferritin level concentration. The nutritional status was determined by the body weight to age based on the standard criteria of WHO NCHS. The quality of food was defined by asking the parents to keep a diary of consumed in the last 7 days minimally for three days. Out of the 90 infants, 50.4 % of them were males and 45.6 % of them were females. Most of them (93.7%) had normal nourished and 8.3 % had undernourished. The prevalence status of low iron was 18.9%. The low iron status began to occur at the age of 4 – 6 months old (6%) and the highest at the age of 9 – 12 months old (65%). Statistically significant differences were found between the iron status and the quality of food supplements over age group. The low quality of food is a risk factor influence the status of low iron. It is suggested that the iron supplements be given to breast-fed infant at the age of 4 – 6 months old.

Copyrights © 2001






Journal Info

Abbrev

paediatrica-indonesiana

Publisher

Subject

Health Professions Medicine & Pharmacology

Description

Paediatrica Indonesiana is a medical journal devoted to the health, in a broad sense, affecting fetuses, infants, children, and adolescents, belonged to the Indonesian Pediatric Society. Its publications are directed to pediatricians and other medical practitioners or researchers at all levels of ...