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Comments on back round papers related to iron, folic acid, malaria and other infections

Oppenheimer, S. (2007) 'Comments on back round papers related to iron, folic acid, malaria and other infections'. Food and Nutrition Bulletin, Vol 28, Issue 4, S550-S559.

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Abstract

This review comments on and summarizes five expert presentations and reports made at a meeting hosted by the World Health Organization (WHO) in Lyon, France, 12-14 June 2006, related to iron and folate supplementation and their interactions with infection. The meeting was called because of the mortality implications of the Pemba iron study and the possible need to change WHO policy as soon as possible. Six tabled presentations were reviewed. A majority of these expert reviews regarded the Pemba study as indicating a specific adverse interaction between iron supplementation and malaria. A majority regarded such an effect as already reviewed, demonstrated, and predicted in existing literature published prior to the Pemba study. A majority concluded that there was a risk of malarial morbidity associated with oral iron supplementation. A majority made recommendations for change, indicating either that the 1998 WHO/UNICEF recommendation for iron supplementation in malarious areas should be suspended pending further research or that it should be stopped. A majority felt that folate supplementation was a less likely cause of the Pemba result; two mentioned the interference of oral folate with antifolate antimalarials; a majority suggested suspension of folic acid supplementation to children in malarious areas. Only one presentation argued for net population benefits of folate and none for iron.

Item Type: Article
Additional Information: Suppl. S (Conf. paper) Meeting of the United-Nations-Educational-Scientific-and-Cultural-Organization Trace Element Inst, Lyon, FRANCE, JUN 12-14, 2006 UN Educ Sci Cultural Org; World Hlth Org.
Uncontrolled Keywords: infection iron malaria supplementation trial placebo-controlled trial papua-new-guinea routine prophylactic supplementation transferrin receptor levels alpha-thalassemia child-mortality disease anemia deficiency infants
Subjects: WC Communicable Diseases > Tropical and Parasitic Diseases > WC 765 Prevention and control
WS Pediatrics > Diseases of Children and Adolescents > General Diseases > WS 200 General works
Faculty: Department: Groups (2002 - 2012) > Child & Reproductive Health Group
Depositing User: Ms Julia Martin
Date Deposited: 01 Sep 2010 08:43
Last Modified: 17 Jul 2020 10:57
URI: https://archive.lstmed.ac.uk/id/eprint/1260

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