A clinical trial that examined the association between breastfeeding and the risk of iron deficiency anemia in children.

Abstract

Background: Exclusive breastfeeding for up to six months without the addition of iron supplementation may compromise the hematologic status of children, leading to iron deficiency anemia and the consequences of this condition. The issue that naturally follows from this is whether or not exclusively breast feeding protects newborns from developing anemia in their first six months of life.

Objective: To determine the incidence of anemia in infants who had received only breast milk between the ages of three and six months.

Patients and Methods: A comparative hospital based cross sectional study conducted at Raparin teaching hospital in Erbil city during the period from the July, 1st  2022 December,30th , 2022., A total of 150 children aged six months to three years were included and randomly assigned into three equal groups according to feeding practices; breast feeding, bottle feeding and mixed feeding. Data on iron status were collected. After measuring serum iron of the three groups, the children classified into iron deficiency anemia (IDA) or normal children. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 28 used in statistical analysis.at a statistical significance level of ≤ 0.05

Results: Females contributed for (58.7%) of the studied group, most of children, (70%), were term infants, the vast majority (99%) of cases breastfed for > 6 months excluding breast feeding group. 34% of cases had iron deficiency anemia and most (66%) of them were normal.

Conclusions: The risk of iron deficiency anemia was several times higher in breastfed children than bottle-fed children. The risk was more pronounced in the first six months of life.