Haematological response to haem iron or ferrous sulphate mixed with refried black beans in moderately anaemic Guatemalan pre-school children.

Objective: Combating iron deficiency in toddlers with iron-fortified food has proved difficult in countries with phytate-rich diets. For this purpose, a new haem iron preparation was developed. The study compared changes in iron status after administration of refried beans with beans fortified with a haem iron preparation or ferrous sulphate (FeSO4).

Ferritin concentrations in dried serum spots prepared by standard compared with simplified approaches: a validation study in Guatemala City.

Background: Spot ferritin assay on dried serum spot (DSS) samples provides reliable and accurate assessment. Standard DSS preparations, however, involve precise serum aliquots and require some skill and training of field personnel.

Objective: We evaluated the validity of the spot ferritin assay on DSS samples prepared by simplified approaches and standard technique in Guatemala City.

Day-to-day variations in iron, zinc and copper in breast milk of Guatemalan mothers.

Objective: To assess the within-subject and between-subject coefficients of variation (CV) of iron, zinc and copper concentrations in the milk of Guatemalan mothers.

Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study in lactating women who had delivered a healthy infant 1 to 6 months previously in two low-income peri-urban areas (San Bartolome Milpas Altas and Ciudad Peronia) and a low-income rural area (San Juan Chamelco) in Guatemala. Women infested with Ascaris lumbricoides or Trichuris trichiura received a single dose of albendazole (400 mg) or placebo.

Use of the deuterated-retinol-dilution technique to monitor the vitamin A status of Nicaraguan schoolchildren 1 y after initiation of the Nicaraguan national program of sugar fortification with vitamin A.

Background: Nicaragua initiated a national program of vitamin A fortification of its domestic sugar supply starting with the 1999-2000 sugarcane harvest.

Objective: This study was conducted to document any change in the vitamin A status of a cohort of children during the first year of the program.

Design: The vitamin A status of 21 Nicaraguan schoolchildren (mean age: 6.

Retinol concentrations in capillary dried blood spots from healthy volunteers: method validation.

Background: Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is a major public health problem in the developing world, leading to >3 million eye-related problems in preschool children. Nearly 250 million children have subclinical VAD, resulting in a 23% increase in childhood mortality. Difficulties in obtaining samples to assess VAD have hampered the detection, intervention, and surveillance of VAD.