1Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research
2Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research
3Senior Lecturer in Statistics, Allied Health Sciences, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research
*Corresponding Author: Dr. Padmasani Venkatramanan, Department of Paediatrics, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, Porur, Chennai-600116, e-mail: padmasani2001@yahoo.com, Ph. No.: 9445140200
Online published on 23 December, 2019.
To study the effectiveness of weekly iron and folic acid therapy in the treatment of nutritional anemia in adolescents as an alternative to daily therapy.
A comparative study was done in 123 anemic adolescents aged 12–15 years, in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The study was done with the approval of our Institutional Ethics Committee and permission from the school authorities. The study population was divided into two groups, one receiving weekly and the other daily iron and folic acid therapy. Hemoglobin (Hb) estimation was done at baseline, 8 weeks and 16 weeks after initiating the treatment.
Overall 105 children, 56 in the weekly therapy group and 49 in daily group completed the study. Within the groups analysis was done by repeated measurements of ANOVA at 3 different points of time. The increase in Hb level from baseline at 8 and 16 weeks was found to be significant within both the groups (p value <0.001). The improvement in Hb levels in the two groups was compared by independent student t test. There was no significant difference between the groups (p value > 0.05).
Weekly iron and folic acid therapy is as effective as daily therapy in the treatment of nutritional anemia.
Anemia, weekly treatment, iron and folic acid, adolescents
