The Role of Prophylactic Iron Use and Nutrition in Preventing Iron Deficiency in Infancy

Iron plays an important role in oxidation and reduction reactions, which have a very important place in the continuation of life. Iron plays an essential role in these reactions because it can easily gain and lose electrons in redox reactions. Iron is mostly found in the heme molecule in organisms. However, iron has structural and functional importance for many enzymes and proteins other than heme. Iron deficiency (ID) is the most common nutritional deficiency in children worldwide. ID is more common in socio-economically developing geographies. However, it is still an important problem in developed countries. A plasma ferritin level below 12 mg/L is defined as ID, which is often used synonymously with iron deficiency anemia (IDA). However, ID develops before anemia occurs. Weakness, fatigue, tiring quickly, insomnia, and regression in neuro-cognitive functions may occur in ID that precedes the signs of anemia. With the development of anemia, the clinical diagnosis of IDA is fully revealed.

In ID that occurs in infancy, psychomotor development is adversely affected, and the development of cognitive functions slows down or even stops. Immune system functions regress. Although iron treatment can reverse these negative effects, some effects are permanent. Therefore, prevention of ID is more important than treatment. In addition, it is easier and cheaper to prevent ID and IDA than to treat them. It is a health policy to recommend iron prophylaxis to children aged 4-12 months in the Republic of Turkey.

Adding iron-rich foods to the diet, adequate breast milk intake, and prophylaxis with iron preparations can be used to prevent ID and IDA. However, there are different data in the literature on the use of prophylactic iron preparations.