Comparing oral iron bisglycinate chelate, lactoferrin, lactoferrin with iron and iron polymaltose complex in the treatment of children with iron deficiency anemia.

Objectives: Iron amino acid chelates have been developed to be used as food fortificants and therapeutic agents in the treatment of iron deficiency anemia.

Purpose: To compare the efficacy of Oral iron bisglycinate chelate (FeBC), lactoferrin (LF), lactoferrin with iron and iron polymaltose complex (IPC) in treatment of iron deficiency anemia (IDA).

Methods: a comparative study was conducted on 120 children with IDA, they attended to outpatient clinic at Menoufia University Hospitals within a period from April to November 2019. All subjects were classified into FeBC Group (30 children received iron bisglycinate), LF Group (30 children received lactoferrin 100 mg), LF with iron Group (30 children received 30% iron saturated lactoferrin) and IPC Group (30 children received iron polymaltose complex with elemental iron of6 mg/kg/day). Serum iron, serum ferritin, transferrin saturation was investigated.

Results: After treatment serum iron, serum ferritin and transferrin saturation improved in FeBC group than LF group, in LF with iron group than LF group, and in IPC group than LF group. Serum ferritin improved in LF with iron group than IPC group. Side effects of drugs were higher in FeBC group than LF group, and higher in LF with iron group than FeBC group.

Conclusions: Adding lactoferrin to iron helps increasing iron stores more than using iron alone in treatment of iron deficiency anemia. Lactoferrin is less effective than lactoferrin with iron, iron bisglycinate chelate and iron polymaltose complex in treatment of iron deficiency anemia.