Table 2 Baseline characteristics of the study population
Characteristic | Placebo | Iron, 3 mg as NaFeEDTA | Iron, 12.5 mg as ferrous fumarate |
|---|---|---|---|
n | 112 | 112 | 114 |
General characteristics | |||
Sex, male | 69 (61.6%) | 61 (54.5%) | 56 (49.1%) |
Age, months | 22.8 (6.8) | 23.2 (6.2) | 24.9 (6.4) |
Age class | |||
12–23 months | 61 (54.5%) | 57 (50.9%) | 44 (38.6%) |
24–36 months | 51 (45.5%) | 55 (49.1%) | 70 (61.4%) |
Nutritional markers | |||
Haemoglobin concentration, g/L | 104.4 (13.2) | 105.9 (13.3) | 104.7 (13.3) |
Anaemia | |||
Moderate (haemoglobin concentration 70–99.99 g/L) | 33 (29.5%) | 34 (30.4%) | 36 (31.6%) |
Mild (haemoglobin concentration 100–109.99 g/L) | 39 (34.8%) | 31 (27.7%) | 37 (32.5%) |
No anaemia (haemoglobin concentration ≥ 110 g/L) | 40 (35.7%) | 47 (42.0%) | 41 (36.0%) |
Anthropometric markers | |||
Body height, cm | 80.9 (5.9) | 82.1 (5.7) | 82.4 (5.1) |
Body weight, kg | 10.6 (1.8) | 10.8 (2.0) | 10.9 (1.7) |
Stunted (height-for-age z-score < −2 SD) | 34 (30.4%) | 31 (27.7%) | 37 (32.5%) |
Wasted (weight-for-height z-score < − 2 SD) | 3 (2.7%) | 5 (4.5%) | 2 (1.8%) |
Underweight (weight-for-age z-score < − 2 SD) | 19 (17.0%) | 12 (10.7%) | 15 (13.2%) |