In developing countries, the standard strategy to try and control iron-deficiency anemia is the use of an iron supplement (ferrous sulphate) given to children as a syrup. But children often find the treatment hard to take, since it has an unpleasant metallic aftertaste, it leaves a dark stain on their teeth, and it can give them abdominal discomfort. In contrast, Sprinkles--sachets containing microencapsulated iron and other micronutrients as a powder that is sprinkled onto foods--avoids these side effects. When it was tested in clinical trials in Bangladesh and Ghana, all of the mothers surveyed found the treatment acceptable.
In the article, Stanley H. Zlotkin and colleagues summarize the results of seven community-based trials of using Sprinkles in four different countries. They found that Sprinkles were just as good as ferrous sulphate at raising the level of hemoglobin in children's blood (in other words, at treating anemia).
"Each stage in the evolution of the Sprinkles intervention has been evaluated in a controlled manner," say the authors. "We determined that the use of encapsulated iron did not appreciably change the taste or color of the food to which it was added, we showed that the haemoglobin response in anaemic infants was equivalent to the current standard of practice, and we documented the acceptability of Sprinkles among caregivers who used Sprinkles in their homes."
Importantly, the authors have developed
'"/>
Contact: Paul Ocampo
pocampo@plos.org
1-415-624-1224
Public Library of Science
24-Jan-2005