Table 1.
Baseline Characteristics of Infants Randomized to Treatment Groups
| Placebo N = 215 | Iron/FA N = 223 | Zinc N = 219 | Combined Tx N = 220 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pemba Island, Zanzibar | ||||
| Age (mo) | 12.1 ± 3.8a | 12.4 ± 4.0 | 12.9 ± 3.9 | 12.7 ± 4.2 |
| Percent girls | 49.8 | 48.0 | 53.0 | 45.0 |
| Hbb | 9.5 ± 1.6 | 9.2 ± 1.5 | 9.6 ± 1.5 | 9.4 ± 1.5 |
| Percent w/Hb <10b | 57.3 | 63.3 | 53.9c | 59.5 |
| Percent w/ZPP ≥90d | 80.7 | 79.1 | 72.2e | 73.0 |
| Percent IDA | 53.3 | 58.2 | 44.8c | 52.5 |
| Percent stunted | 36.7 | 36.6 | 31.6 | 32.7 |
| Percent wasted | 4.2 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 7.7 |
| Percent underweight | 34.1 | 32.7 | 29.4 | 31.8 |
| N = 152 | N = 129 | N = 125 | N = 161 | |
| Sarlahi District, Nepal | ||||
| Age (mo) | 11.2 ± 4.1 | 10.6 ± 3.7 | 10.4 ± 4.2 | 10.9 ± 4.1 |
| Percent girls | 53.9 | 45.0 | 58.4 | 44.1f |
| Hbb | 9.9 ± 1.2 | 10.0 ± 1.1 | 10.7 ± 1.2c,e,g | 10.1 ± 1.3 |
| Percent w/Hb <10b | 48.6 | 40.6 | 20.5c,e,g | 43.4 |
| Percent w/ZPP ≥90c | 60.3 | 68.3 | 39.0c,e,g | 63.2 |
| Percent IDA | 36.8 | 35.8 | 12.3c,e,g | 35.5 |
| Percent stunted | 43.1 | 29.3e | 25.6e | 34.4 |
| Percent wasted | 21.2 | 20.3 | 26.9 | 25.6 |
| Percent underweight | 58.2 | 49.6 | 44.9 | 52.9 |
| Low-caste Hindu | 64.4 | 85.9 | 80.7c,e | 77.4 |
| Muslim | 32.2 | 9.3e | 7.2e,g | 16.1e |
IDA, iron deficiency anemia; ZPP, zinc protoporphyrin; FA, folic acid.
a
Values shown as mean ±SD.
b
Units given in g/dL.
c
Different from iron–folic acid.
d
Units given in μmol ZPP/mol heme.
e
Different from placebo.
f
Different from zinc.
g
Different from the combined treatment, all p < .05.