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. 2023 Nov 30;119(2):456–469. doi: 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2023.11.018

TABLE 3.

Gender, age, anthropometrics, iron and vitamin A status, systemic inflammation, hepcidin, and gut inflammation and integrity in Kenyan infants before and after 3 wk of consuming a wheat-based instant cereal containing 3.6 mg iron as ferrous fumarate without and with 2 doses of prebiotics (3.0 or 7.5 g of galacto-oligosaccharides and fructo-oligosaccharides, ratio 9:1).

Fe Fe + 3 g Prebiotics Fe + 7.5 g Prebiotics P
n 61 60 53
Female/male, n 33/28 37/23 28/25 0.582
Age, mo1 8.1 ± 1.3 8.3 ± 1.4 8.5 ± 1.5 0.272
Body length, cm
 Baseline 68.5 ± 3.3 68.7 ± 3.2 69.5 ± 2.8 0.171
 End point 69.9 ± 2.92 69.9 ± 3.23 70.7 ± 3.14 0.784
Body weight, kg5
 Baseline 7.8 (7.1–8.7)6 7.9 (7.2–8.6) 7.9 (7.1–8.7) 0.999
 End point 8.2 (7.2–8.9)2 8.0 (7.4–8.7)3 8.1 (7.4–8.8)4 0.992
Weight-for-length z-score
 Baseline −0.36 (−0.84–0.87)6 −0.15 (−0.97–0.66) −0.49 (−1.28–0.24) 0.168
 End point −0.12 (−1.09–0.73)2 −0.07 (−0.98–0.54)3 −0.37 (−1.88–0.89)4 0.890
Weight-for-age z-score
 Baseline −0.61 (−1.18–0.35)6 −0.34 (−1.29–0.14) −0.60 (−1.41–0.07) 0.800
 End point −0.48 (−1.11–0.57)6 −0.23 (−1.22–0.17) −0.56 (−1.35–0.21) 0.970
Length-for-age z-score
 Baseline −0.52 ± 1.26 −0.50 ± 0.97 −0.31 ± 0.99 0.552
 End point −0.38 ± 1.102 −0.44 ± 1.023 −0.29 ± 1.104 0.837
Hemoglobin, g/L
 Baseline 108 (101–116) 110 (103–117) 105 (100–110) 0.125
 End point 108 (103–116)2 109 (103–115)3 108 (99–114)4 0.997
Plasma ferritin, μg/L
 Baseline 12.2 (6.7–31.4) 16.6 (8.6–32.3) 10.9 (5.8–17.9) 0.201
 End point 13.7 (9.4–27.2)2 14.6 (8.3–27.7)3 10.8 (6.3–18.6)4 0.737
Plasma ferritin adjusted, μg/L8
 Baseline 10.7 (5.4–20.5) 12.9 (7.6–21.2) 8.5 (5.4–14.1) 0.188
 End point 11.1 (7.2–22.5)2 12.4 (6.7–20.9)3 9.5 (5.3–14.9)4 0.491
Soluble transferrin receptor, mg/L
 Baseline 10.3 (8.6–14.0) 10.9 (9.1–16.0) 12.0 (8.9–15.4) 0.303
 End point 11.3 (8.8–14.8)2 12.5 (9.8–16.3)3 13.0 (9.0–17.3)4 0.714
C-reactive protein, mg/L
 Baseline 1.16 (0.25–3.41) 0.38 (0.04–3.58) 1.16 (0.05–4.21) 0.301
 End point 0.74 (0.26–3.83)2,b 0.27 (0.04–1.35)3,a 0.63 (0.04–2.25)7,a,b 0.008
α-1-acid glycoprotein, g/L
 Baseline 0.70 (0.57–1.12) 0.70 (0.50–1.17) 0.68 (0.50–1.00) 0.298
 End point 0.80 (0.60–0.98)2 0.68 (0.54–0.93)3 0.69 (0.51–1.26)7 0.591
Hepcidin, ng/mL9
 Baseline — 1.5 (0.6–4.5) 2.0 (0.9–6.1) 0.616
 End point — 1.6 (0.5–4.4) 1.4 (0.6–2.9) 0.615
Retinol-binding protein, μmol/L
 Baseline 0.7 (0.6–0.9) 0.8 (0.7–0.9) 0.7 (0.6–0.9) 0.051
 End point 0.8 (0.7–0.9)2 0.9 (0.7–1.0)3 0.8 (0.7–0.9)7 0.096
Fecal calprotectin, μg/g
 Baseline 327 (162.0–517.5)6 361.7 (169.9–671.3)2 248.2 (86.9–424.5) 0.082
 End point 361.0 (168.2–725.4)3,b 367.7 (190.0–601.4)3,a,b 198.4 (102.5–463.0)4,a 0.033
Fecal pH
 Baseline 5.2 (4.7–5.7)6 5.2 (4.8–5.7)2 5.0 (4.6–5.5) 0.064
 End point 5.5 (5.1–5.9)10,c 5.8 (5.3–6.7)3,b 5.0 (4.6–5.4)7,a <0.001
Intestinal fatty acid binding protein, ng/mL
 Baseline 0.96 (0.71–1.41)3 1.04 (0.74–1.33)11 0.96 (0.72–1.30)7 0.461
 End point 1.03 (0.72–1.43)10 1.03 (0.67–1.47)3 0.99 (0.64–1.28)7 0.756

For continuous variables, between-group differences before the intervention were tested using 1-factor analysis of variance. Between-group differences after the intervention were tested using analysis of covariance with values before the intervention as covariates. For categorical variables, between-group differences were tested using Pearson χ2 tests. Across rows, different letter superscripts indicate significant differences: P < 0.05.

1

Mean ± SD all such values.

2

n = 59.

3

n = 58.

4

n = 50.

5

Median (25th–75th percentiles) all such values.

6

n = 60.

7

n = 49.

8

Adjusted for inflammation [29].

9

Only measured in 47 infants participating in the stable iron isotope study (arm 1: n = 23, arm 2: n = 24).

10

n = 57.

11

n = 55.