No description available.

The aim of this research was to determine the influence of iron deficiency on both the efficacy and metabolic patterns of albendazole in mice infected with Heligmosomoides polygyrus. Anthelmintic efficacy was markedly decreased in iron-deficient mice; the deficiency was also associated with a decrease in body weight, altered hematological parameters and a decreased net egg output; worm establishment in the deficient group was not affected by the deficiency. Although anthelmintic efficacy was significantly decreased by the iron deficiency, plasma concentration profiles of the main metabolites, albendazole sulphoxide and albendazole sulphone, were not changed by the deficiency. Levels of intestinal cytochrome P-450, the main metabolizing enzyme of albendazole however, was significantly depressed in iron-deficient mice. These observations suggest that although pharmacokinetic parameters are not affected by iron deficiency, nutritional status has the potential to influence anthelmintic efficacy and thus warrants further study.

The thesis is comprised of a comparative study of iron metabolism with particular reference to iron deficiency in the Indian and the African; Europeans were included when naterlal was available. Fifty four patients with iron deficiency anaemia were studied. There ware 43 Indians as compared with 11 Africans although the overall proportion of Indians to Africans admitted to the same ward was 1 : 4. Amongst the Indians the commonest cause of anaemia from blood loss was peptic ulceration (6 patients); while 3 had cirrhosis of the liver, one had hookworm anaemia and one was a case of ulcerative colitis. Gynaecological lesions were found in 2 patients, one had a proliferative endometrium and the other had endometrial polypi. Idiopathic iron deficiency anaemia was found in 60.5% of the Indian patients (both male and female). Amongst the Africans on the other hand, there were 2 cases of hookworm anaemia and 2 of cirrhosis of the liver while peptic ulceration was suspected in one patient who alao had amoebic dysentery and urinary hllharsiesis. None of the Africans had Idiopathic iron deficiency anaemia with the possible exception of one who had 4 Caesarean sections in rapid succession. There were 175 Indians, 175 Africans and 139 Europeans who were studied haematologlcally during pregnancy. The Incidence of iron deficiency anaemia among them was 26.7%, 2% and 4% respectively. The third aspect of the thesis is confined to an analysis of necropsy materiel for iron stores. Two hundred Africans and 58 Indians were studied. It was found that the incidence of *siderosis" in the African was high. There was a significant difference in the iron concentrations in the stores of the 2 racial groups. It was concluded that iron deficiency anaemia is common in the Indian. Diet appears to play an important role in its production. / Thesis (M.D.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1963.

No description available.

The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to measure the effectiveness of a grocery store tour that emphasized sources of iron-rich, kid-friendly foods on the participants’ knowledge about dietary iron and iron-rich food sources. A second purpose was to determine if, three months after the grocery store tour, the serum iron levels of the children who had previously been identified by the WIC (Supplemental Women, Infants, and Children) program as being low was higher as compared to the serum iron levels of the control group. Ten parents of children with low iron levels participated in this study, 5 in the control group and 5 in the treatment group. Data collection took place for this research study over the course of three months. The results of this study indicated that the grocery store intervention seemed to have no impact on the children’s hemoglobin levels. The results of this study also indicated that the grocery store tour intervention seemed to have no impact on children’s consumption of iron rich foods. However, the grocery store tour intervention did have a positive impact on parents’ knowledge of iron rich foods and their ability to use unit pricing. / Department of Family and Consumer Sciences

Background - The first 1000 days of life (from conception to two years of age) is a critical period of nutritional vulnerability, affecting lifelong health. Iron deficiency (ID) and iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) are considered major public health problems that adversely affect development and growth, impair immunity, and increase morbidity and mortality in infants. ID and IDA in sub-Saharan Africa can be attributed to poor dietary, socioeconomic and disease conditions. One of the major obstacles in determining the prevalence of ID, using serum ferritin (SF) as marker of iron status, is that it not only reflects the amount of iron that is stored in the body, but also functions as an acute phase reactant that is raised in the presence of infection or inflammation. Aim - We conducted a re-analysis of the International Research on Infant Supplementation (IRIS) study’s baseline data to determine a more accurate estimation of the ID prevalence in apparently healthy four to thirteen-month-old infants from rural KwaZulu-Natal while accounting for the effect of chronic and acute inflammation on SF. Study design and methods - A cross-sectional analysis was performed on the baseline data (192 infants) of the IRIS study that was conducted in 2000. Infants’ haemoglobin (Hb), SF, C-reactive protein (CRP) and alpha-1 glycoprotein (AGP) concentrations were interpreted to determine the prevalence of ID. Literature of the past four years served as a guide to compare the ID prevalence obtained from four methods that account for the influence of inflammation on SF concentrations, to a reference method that does not take inflammation into consideration, and to what was reported in the original IRIS study. Weight and recumbent length measurements were converted to z-scores to interpret subjects’ anthropometric nutritional status. Results - A high prevalence of inflammation (52.6%) was present, with 11.5% of the subjects being in the incubation, 17.2% in the early convalescent, and 24% in the late convalescent phase of inflammation. SF was significantly associated with both CRP (ß = 0.200; P = 0.005) and AGP (ß = 0.223; P = 0.002) when adjusting for gender and age. The IRIS study reported an ID prevalence of 18.3%, whereas the results of this study ranged from 17.2 to 52.1%. We derived an IDA prevalence that ranged from 12 to 24.5% according to the different methods. The prevalence of stunting [length-for-age Z-score <-2SD] was 12.5%; while 25.1% of infants were overweight/obese [weight-for-length z-score >2SD]. Conclusion - A double burden of malnutrition was evident from the high prevalence of both overweight and ID, together with inflammation. The disconcertingly large variance in ID prevalence observed between the different methods that were employed highlights that iron supplementation interventions to treat anaemia must be based upon accurate estimates of IDA prevalence, otherwise they pose an increased risk of adverse effects to susceptible, iron-replete, but anaemic infants. Given the detrimental consequences of ID, it is imperative that governments, health care providers and parents must act to prevent or treat ID and IDA among vulnerable infants. / MSc (Dietetics), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

The most common form of nutritional deficiency worldwide is iron deficiency, which is associated with sup optimal early brain development. Literature indicates that children with a poor nutritional status during early development of the brain showed poorer cognitive functioning, deficient growth and muscle function. The first purpose of this study was to determine if iron status plays a role in motor competency. A second purpose was to determine if iron status shows an association with motor competency, behavioural characteristics and scholastic success, while a third purpose was to determine if the consumption of different teas will improve iron intake positively and consequently will improve motor development and behaviour. A test- retest research design was used in a randomised parallel study, with one group of children drinking tea and a control group drinking 'rooibos' tea. The Movement Assessment Battery for Children (MABC) (Henderson & Sugden, 1992) was used to determine the DCD (Developmental co-ordination disorder) status in the group (N = 76). In this group, 45 children were classified as children with DCD. Blood samples were taken to determine the haemoglobin, ferritin and transferrin saturation levels while a 24hr recall dietary questionnaire was used to determine nutritional intakes. Descriptive statistics, t-testing, effect sizes and analysis of co-variance were used to analyse the data. With regards to the first aim of the study, the results which were analysed by means of t-testing, effect sizes and co-variance of analysis indicated that iron deficiency showed significant relationships with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). When corrected for influences other than haemoglobin on gross motor competency manual dexterity, and especially ball skills, showed significant relationships with iron deficiency. These results demonstrate the importance of proper nutrition on motor and cognitive development. With reference to the second aim of the study the assessment of children with DCD by the teachers with regard to their manual dexterity and behavioural characteristics, indicated poorer manual dexterity and more behavioural problems compared to children without DCD. The children in the DCD group was also divided into a group where the MABC-total showed improvement and their haemoglobin levels increased (n=19). This group was then compared with a group of DCD children of which the MABC total decreased and a decrease in haemoglobin was found (n=6). Although the groups were small, the results indicate that manual dexterity skills and mathematics, reading and writing was poorer in the DCD-children whose iron status decreased. No definite association between the different teas and improvement of motor development and behaviour were indicated by the results. Overall, the conclusion can be made that a relationship between iron status and Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) among 9-12 year old children exist. However, it is recommended that more studies of this nature should be done on school age children to substantiate the findings of this study. Intervention studies should also be implemented where the children with depleted iron anaemia status should receive iron supplementation. / Thesis (M.Sc. (Human Movement Science))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.

Graduation date: 1991

Adequate nutrition is fundamental to optimal physical and cognitive growth in the second year of life. Toddlers, however, are particularly vulnerable to poor nutrition due to their high nutrient needs in relation to their body size and energy intakes. Nutrient-dense diets are therefore essential during this period. However, no practical quantitative food-based dietary guidelines directed at this age group are available to help caregivers choose nutrient-rich foods for their toddler. Such guidelines are needed not only to ensure adequate intakes of all nutrients during the period of dietary transition from infant to family foods, but also to emphasise intakes of nutrients for which toddlers are at particular risk of deficiency. Biochemical evidence suggests that iron nutrition requires special attention in New Zealand toddlers. The overall aim of this thesis was to design and assess the efficacy of practical food-based strategies for toddlers to ensure optimal nutritional status of 12-24 month old New Zealand children, with a specific focus on iron nutrition. To achieve these overall aims, the research was carried out in three stages. In the first stage, secondary data analysis of food intake data for New Zealand toddlers identified the foods commonly consumed by New Zealand toddlers, the serving sizes and frequency of consumption of these foods, and the nutrients that New Zealand toddlers are at risk of consuming in suboptimal amounts. The food intake data were obtained from 3-day weighed food intakes that had been collected on non-consecutive days in an earlier community-based cross-sectional survey of 188 randomly selected non-breastfeeding 12-24 month old urban South Island New Zealand children. In addition to describing the food consumption patterns of New Zealand toddlers, the secondary data analysis also identified that nearly 40% of New Zealand toddlers were at risk of suboptimal iron intakes. The results of these analyses were used in the second stage of the thesis to develop three food-based strategies. To do this a 4-phase approach based on linear and goal programming was used to design and hypothetically evaluate three sets of food-based strategies for 12-24 month old non-breastfeeding New Zealand children, and to identify the key problem nutrients for each set of strategies. The three sets of strategies were based on: (1) all foods consumed by toddlers including iron-fortified infant and toddler foods, (2) family foods only, or (3) family foods that are not fortified with iron. The mathematical modelling confirmed that iron was the key problem nutrient in the diets of New Zealand toddlers. The analysis showed that only food-based strategies that included a recommendation for the replacement of non-fortified cow�s milk with an iron-fortified toddler milk (500 mL), i.e. strategy set 1, achieved the Australian-New Zealand Recommended Dietary Intakes for all nutrients, including iron. In fact, inclusion of a recommendation for a substantially increased consumption of flesh foods was identified as the only possible alternative to the iron-fortified toddler milk recommendation for improving iron nutrition in New Zealand toddlers. Although the set of strategies including this flesh food recommendation did not provide as much total iron as those including the iron-fortified toddler milk recommendation, the bioavailability of the iron is likely to be greater because flesh foods provide highly bioavailable haem iron (red meat being a particularly rich source) and have an enhancing effect on the absorption of non-haem iron. The two key recommendations for achieving New Zealand toddlers� iron needs were, therefore, a recommendation to consume an iron-fortified toddler milk and a recommendation to consume substantial amounts of red meat. In the third stage, the efficacy of an increased intake of red meat or the use of an iron-fortified milk for improving biochemical iron status in healthy non-anaemic 12-20 month old New Zealand children was investigated in a 20-week partial double-blind randomised placebo-controlled intervention trial. The study also examined the effect of these two interventions on dietary iron intakes and growth, and investigated the association between the amount of meat consumed and biochemical iron parameters. Participants (n=225) were assigned to one of three groups: Meat Group (n=90), Fortified Milk Group (n=45), or Placebo Group (n=90). Children in the Meat Group were encouraged to consume two red meat dishes per day (~ 2.6 mg of iron). In the Fortified Milk Group and Placebo Group, the children�s regular milk was replaced with iron-fortified cow�s milk (1.5 mg of iron per 100 g of prepared milk), or non-fortified cow�s milk (< 0.1 mg of iron per 100 g of prepared milk), respectively. Geometric mean dietary iron intakes (95% CI) increased from 4.7 (4.1, 5.3) to 5.3 (4.7, 6.0) mg per day in the Meat Group (P=0.007), and from 4.3 (3.7, 5.0) to 10.4 (9.0, 12.2) mg per day in the Fortified Milk Group (P<0.001). These increased iron intakes differed significantly from the Placebo Group (both P<0.001), which declined from 5.1 (4.5, 5.7) to 4.6 (4.1, 5.2) mg per day during the intervention (P=0.047). Over 20 weeks, adjusted geometric mean serum ferritin concentration increased by 44% (95% CI: 14%, 82%) in the Fortified Milk Group (P=0.002), tended to decrease in the Placebo Group (14% decrease (95% CI: -27%, 1%; P=0.063)), and did not significantly change in the Meat Group (10% increase (95% CI: -7%, 30%; P=0.241)). However, because iron status declined in the Placebo Group, both groups fared significantly better than the Placebo Group: serum ferritin concentration at 20 weeks was 68% (95% CI: 27%, 124%; P<0.001) greater in the Fortified Milk Group than in the Placebo Group, and 29% (95% CI: 2%, 63%; P=0.033) greater in the Meat Group than in the Placebo Group. There were no intervention effects on haemoglobin or serum transferrin receptor concentration. The cross-sectional analysis showed that a daily intake of 1 g of red meat was associated with 0.65% (95% CI: 0.18%, 1.11%; P=0.007) higher serum ferritin concentration. No adverse effects of the interventions on the toddlers� growth were detected. In conclusion, this thesis shows that food-based strategies can be designed that, if adhered to, should ensure adequate iron status in New Zealand toddlers. Although both the iron-fortified milk recommendation and the increased red meat recommendation are likely to prevent the decline in body iron stores that can occur during the second year of life, only consumption of iron-fortified milk can successfully increase iron stores. Therefore, food-based strategies for New Zealand toddlers will need to include a recommendation that encourages the consumption of foods developed specifically for toddlers that are fortified with iron.

[Truncated abstract] Iron is a trace mineral used by the body in many physiological processes that are essential to athletic performance. Commonly, the body's iron stores are compromised by exercise via several well established mechanisms. One such mechanism is the destruction of red blood cells (hemolysis), in response to the mechanical stress and circulatory strain of exercise. Although it appears that a force-dependent relationship between the heel-strike of the running gait and ground contact exists, the effects of the intensity trained at and the ground surface type trained upon have not been documented. Similarly, the effects of a cumulative training stress (i.e. multiple daily sessions) has not been examined. In addition to hemolysis, exercise also invokes an inflammatory response that results in an up-regulation of the cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6). This cytokine is the primary mediator of hepcidin expression, a liver-produced hormone that regulates iron metabolism in the gut and in macrophages. The influence of exercise on hepcidin expression is relatively unknown, and as such it is possible that this hormone may be a mitigating factor implicated in athletic-induced iron deficiency. Therefore, the purpose of this thesis was to investigate the effect of different training frequencies, intensities and ground surfaces on the hemolytic response. In addition, the impact of exercise-induced inflammation on hepcidin expression in the 24 h post-exercise was investigated, with the aim of determining whether this hormone may be a potential new mechanism associated with athletic-induced iron deficiency. Finally, an interaction between hemolysis and hepcidin activity was examined to investigate their potential combined effect on iron status in the 24 h post-exercise. ... Venous blood and urine samples were collected pre- and immediately post-exercise, and at 3 and 24 h of recovery. Samples were analysed for circulating levels of IL-6, free Hb, Hp, serum iron, ferritin and urinary hepcidin activity. At the conclusion of both the T1 and T2 interval runs, the free Hb and serum Hp were significantly increased (p<0.05) from pre-exercise levels. Furthermore, a cumulative effect of two running sessions was shown in the T2 trial, via a further significant fall in serum Hp. The IL-6 and hepcidin activity were significantly increased after each running session (p<0.05) with no cumulative effect seen. Serum iron and ferritin were significantly increased post-exercise after each interval run (p<0.05), but were not influenced by the addition of a prior LSD run 12 h earlier. As a result, this investigation showed a cumulative effect of consecutive training sessions on RBC destruction in male athletes. Furthermore, post-exercise increases to serum iron and hepcidin, and their interaction was suggested to have potential implications for an athlete's iron status. Overall, the findings of this thesis show that hemolysis is evident at the conclusion of endurance running, and is influenced by training intensity and frequency. The results enabled a time-line for hepcidin expression post-exercise to be established, and the implications of increases to the activity of this hormone, in association with the hemolytic changes seen with endurance exercise are discussed.