Supplemental Micronutrients May Reverse Growth Stunt, Anemia in Children

ROME & PARIS--A spread fortified with vitamins and minerals induced catch-up growth and eradicated severe anemia in stunted refugee children aged 3 to 6 years, according to a study published in the October issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, (80, 4:973-981, 2004) (www.ajcn.org).

Researchers assessed the effect of a highly nutrient-dense spread fortified with vitamins and minerals, with or without antiparasitic metronidazole treatment, in correcting retarded linear growth and reducing anemia in stunted children. No generally accepted recommendations for micronutrient intakes for recovery from stunting are as yet available, according to the researchers.

The scientists studied 374 Saharawi refugee children, aged 3 to 6 years, with initial height-for-age Z scores of less than 2. The children were assigned to one of five groups: fortified spread (FS), fortified spread plus metronidazole (FS+M), unfortified spread (US), unfortified spread plus metronidazole (US+M), or control, and supervised supplementation was given daily for six months. Weight, height, knee-heel length, hematologic indexes, parasitic infections, and morbidity were assessed at 0, 3 and 6 months.

Linear growth of the children fed FS was 30 percent faster at three months than in the US and control groups, after which height-for-age Z scores increased only slightly in the FS group and remained unchanged in the other groups. No additional benefits from metronidazole were observed. An increase in hemoglobin concentrations in the FS group at 6 months was two-fold that in the US and control groups, and anemia was reduced by nearly 90 percent.

The scientists concluded the fortified spread could induce catch-up growth in stunted children whose diets are poor in micronutrients and help to reduce anemia.