Although iron can cause accidental poisoning due to its toxicity, it has generally been believed that the doses of iron provided in iron supplements and ironfortified foods are modest and that any excess would be excreted. However, some studies suggest that providing iron to infants with adequate iron stores may have adverse effects. Iron
drops given to iron-replete Honduran and Swedish infants aged from 4 to 9 months resulted in significantly decreased length gain [6]. This adverse effect was not observed in infants who initially had a low iron status. Several other studies in developing countries [7–9] have shown decreased weight gain in infants who were ironreplete at the start of the supplementation. In these populations, the nutritional status of the infants was generally poor, and their growth was faltering, which may explain why an
effect was found on weight but not on
height. The mechanism behind this
growth-limiting effect of iron is not yet
known. It is possible that the gut microflora of iron-replete infants given
iron was different than that of irondeficient infants given iron. Moreover,
the gut microflora has recently been
shown to affect energy utilization in
the gut [10].
Although iron can cause accidental poisoning due to its toxicity, it has generally been believed that the doses of iron provided in iron supplements and ironfortified foods are modest and that any excess would be excreted. However, some studies suggest that providing iron to infants with adequate iron stores may have adverse effects. Iron drops given to iron-replete Honduran and Swedish infants aged from 4 to 9 months resulted in significantly decreased length gain [6]. This adverse effect was not observed in infants who initially had a low iron status. Several other studies in developing countries [7–9] have shown decreased weight gain in infants who were ironreplete at the start of the supplementation. In these populations, the nutritional status of the infants was generally poor, and their growth was faltering, which may explain why an effect was found on weight but not on height. The mechanism behind this growth-limiting effect of iron is not yet known. It is possible that the gut microflora of iron-replete infants given iron was different than that of irondeficient infants given iron. Moreover, the gut microflora has recently been shown to affect energy utilization in the gut [10].
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