Efetividade da fortificação da merenda escolar com sulfato ferroso na diminuição da anemia em crianças de 2 a 5 anos

Abstract

Anaemia is the most prevalent disorder in lhe world. Iron deficiency is considered to be the cause of 95% of nutritional anaemia. Children constitute a group with particularly high risk due to increased iron requirements because of rapid growth and deficient dietary composition with low intake of iron. The World Health Organisation recommends three main strategies to prevent iron deficiency: dietary improvement, iron supplementation and food fortification. This study was carried out with preschool children aged from 2 to 5 years old. The prevalence of anaemia among the 728 children who participated in this study was 37,1%. Each child received individual- serving schooi lunch fortified with either 5mg or 10 mg of elemental iron each dav, using ferrous sulfate added to the ready meai, during 12 weeks (55 workdays). Children from six randomly selected schools were divided into two groups: Group A received 5mg and group B received 10mg of elemental iron/day. At the beginning, both groups were evaluated for haematologic parameters. Children with haemoglobin (Hb) iower than 11 g/dL, criteria of anaemia in this age group, were reevaluated at the end of intervention. In group A mean Hb levei was 10,1 g/dL and 11,5 g/dL at the beginning and after intervention respectively. In group B initial mean Hb levei was 10,0g/dL and 11,0g/dL after intervention. Comparativa analysis showed a significantly increase in mean values in both groups (p<0,01). No significant difference was observed between the two different doses. The prevalence o anaemia carne down from 34,9% to 12,4% in group A and from 39,0% to 18,7% in group B. Fortification with 5mg/day of elemental iron as ferrous sulfate was found to be effective in increasing Hb levei and decreasing the prevalence of anaemia. The intervention was shown to be feasible, cost-effective and easy to operate.