Impact of iron-folic acid supplementation on cognitive abilities of school girls in Vadodara
Sen, A.; Kanani, S.J.
Indian Pediatrics 46(2): 137-143
2009
ISSN/ISBN: 0019-6061 PMID: 19242031 Document Number: 284396
To assess impact of daily and intermittent iron-folate (IFA) supplementation on cognition of underprivileged primary schoolgirls in Vadodara. Experimental-control longitudinal study. Municipal primary schools. Schoolgirls (n=161) in the age group of 9 - 13 years. Participants at three randomly selected schools were given IFA tablets (100 mg elemental iron + 0.5 mg folic acid) either once weekly or twice weekly or daily for one year. The fourth was the control school. Digit span, maze test, visual memory test, and clerical task scores. IFA supplementation given daily and twice-weekly significantly improved cognition in most tests; the effect was not seen in once-weekly or control groups. In daily and twice weekly IFA groups, positive change in cognition test scores was relatively higher in girls with good compliance(< 70 % dose) vs. poor compliance; in anemic (hemoglobin < 11 g/dL) vs non-anemic girls and in those with higher hemoglobin (Hb) gain (< 1g/dL) vs. lower Hb gain. Twice weekly IFA supplementation is comparable to daily IFA in terms of beneficial effects on cognition in young adolescent girls.