We evaluated the role of initial
iron stores on
iron accumulation during recovery from severe edematous
protein-energy malnutrition in children. Twenty-six preschool children were divided in two groups according to their initial
iron reserves, as estimated from serum
ferritin concentration, using a cutoff criterion of 30 ng/ml. The low
ferritin (LF) group had a mean serum
ferritin level of 12 +/- 8 ng/dl, and the high
ferritin (HF) group, 86 +/- 32 ng/dl. Both groups had similar degrees of
malnutrition and of
anemia, as defined by
hemoglobin concentration. All children received an adequate therapeutic diet and 60 mg
iron daily as
ferrous sulfate. The recovery of biochemical and anthropometric indicators of nutritional status, as well as of
hemoglobin concentration, was similar in both groups. On the contrary, the LF group showed a marked increase in serum
ferritin concentration from the onset of treatment, whereas the HF group had a net decline in this parameter by 30 days, and a stable level thereafter. The difference in serum
ferritin concentration between groups was maintained until day 60, and both groups ended the study (90 days) with similar levels. Estimation of the utilization of exogenous
iron from changes in total-body
iron during the first 60 days of recovery showed the LF group to retain an average of 9.3% of
iron intake, whereas the HF group retained only 1.4%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)