Martin N Mwangi1, Johanna M Roth2, Menno R Smit3, Laura Trijsburg3, Alice M Mwangi4, Ayşe Y Demir5, Jos P M Wielders5, Petra F Mens6, Jaco J Verweij7, Sharon E Cox8, Andrew M Prentice8, Inge D Brouwer9, Huub F J Savelkoul3, Pauline E A Andang'o10, Hans Verhoef11. 1. Cell Biology and Immunology Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands2School of Public Health and Community Development, Maseno University, Maseno, Kenya. 2. Cell Biology and Immunology Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands3KIT Biomedical Research, Royal Tropical Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. 3. Cell Biology and Immunology Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands. 4. Applied Nutrition Programme, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya. 5. Laboratory for Clinical Chemistry, Meander Medical Centre, Amersfoort, the Netherlands. 6. KIT Biomedical Research, Royal Tropical Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. 7. Laboratory for Medical Microbiology and Immunology, St Elisabeth Hospital, Tilburg, the Netherlands. 8. MRC International Nutrition Programme, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, England8MRC International Nutrition Programme, Medical Research Council, Keneba, the Gambia. 9. Division of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands. 10. School of Public Health and Community Development, Maseno University, Maseno, Kenya. 11. Cell Biology and Immunology Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands7MRC International Nutrition Programme, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, England8MRC International Nutrition Programme, Medical Research Council, Keneba, t.
Abstract
IMPORTANCE: Anemia affects most pregnant African women and is predominantly due to iron deficiency, but antenatal iron supplementation has uncertain health benefits and can increase the malaria burden. OBJECTIVE: To measure the effect of antenatal iron supplementation on maternal Plasmodium infection risk, maternal iron status, and neonatal outcomes. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Randomized placebo-controlled trial conducted October 2011 through April 2013 in a malaria endemic area among 470 rural Kenyan women aged 15 to 45 years with singleton pregnancies, gestational age of 13 to 23 weeks, and hemoglobin concentration of 9 g/dL or greater. All women received 5.7 mg iron/day through flour fortification during intervention, and usual intermittent preventive treatment against malaria was given. INTERVENTIONS: Supervised daily supplementation with 60 mg of elemental iron (as ferrous fumarate, n = 237 women) or placebo (n = 233) from randomization until 1 month postpartum. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Primary outcome was maternal Plasmodium infection at birth. Predefined secondary outcomes were birth weight and gestational age at delivery, intrauterine growth, and maternal and infant iron status at 1 month after birth. RESULTS: Among the 470 participating women, 40 women (22 iron, 18 placebo) were lost to follow-up or excluded at birth; 12 mothers were lost to follow-up postpartum (5 iron, 7 placebo). At baseline, 190 of 318 women (59.7%) were iron-deficient. In intention-to-treat analysis, comparison of women who received iron vs placebo, respectively, yielded the following results at birth: Plasmodium infection risk: 50.9% vs 52.1% (crude difference, -1.2%, 95% CI, -11.8% to 9.5%; P = .83); birth weight: 3202 g vs 3053 g (crude difference, 150 g, 95% CI, 56 to 244; P = .002); birth-weight-for-gestational-age z score: 0.52 vs 0.31 (crude difference, 0.21, 95% CI, -0.11 to 0.52; P = .20); and at 1 month after birth: maternal hemoglobin concentration: 12.89 g/dL vs 11.99 g/dL (crude difference, 0.90 g/dL, 95% CI, 0.61 to 1.19; P < .001); geometric mean maternal plasma ferritin concentration: 32.1 µg/L vs 14.4 µg/L (crude difference, 123.4%, 95% CI, 85.5% to 169.1%; P < .001); geometric mean neonatal plasma ferritin concentration: 163.0 µg/L vs 138.7 µg/L (crude difference, 17.5%, 95% CI, 2.4% to 34.8%; P = .02). Serious adverse events were reported for 9 and 12 women who received iron and placebo, respectively. There was no evidence that intervention effects on Plasmodium infection risk were modified by intermittent preventive treatment use. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Among rural Kenyan women with singleton pregnancies, administration of daily iron supplementation, compared with administration of placebo, resulted in no significant differences in overall maternal Plasmodium infection risk. Iron supplementation led to increased birth weight. TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01308112.
IMPORTANCE: Anemia affects most pregnant African women and is predominantly due to iron deficiency, but antenatal iron supplementation has uncertain health benefits and can increase the malaria burden. OBJECTIVE: To measure the effect of antenatal iron supplementation on maternal Plasmodium infection risk, maternal iron status, and neonatal outcomes. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Randomized placebo-controlled trial conducted October 2011 through April 2013 in a malaria endemic area among 470 rural Kenyan women aged 15 to 45 years with singleton pregnancies, gestational age of 13 to 23 weeks, and hemoglobin concentration of 9 g/dL or greater. All women received 5.7 mg iron/day through flour fortification during intervention, and usual intermittent preventive treatment against malaria was given. INTERVENTIONS: Supervised daily supplementation with 60 mg of elemental iron (as ferrous fumarate, n = 237 women) or placebo (n = 233) from randomization until 1 month postpartum. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Primary outcome was maternal Plasmodium infection at birth. Predefined secondary outcomes were birth weight and gestational age at delivery, intrauterine growth, and maternal and infant iron status at 1 month after birth. RESULTS: Among the 470 participating women, 40 women (22 iron, 18 placebo) were lost to follow-up or excluded at birth; 12 mothers were lost to follow-up postpartum (5 iron, 7 placebo). At baseline, 190 of 318 women (59.7%) were iron-deficient. In intention-to-treat analysis, comparison of women who received iron vs placebo, respectively, yielded the following results at birth: Plasmodium infection risk: 50.9% vs 52.1% (crude difference, -1.2%, 95% CI, -11.8% to 9.5%; P = .83); birth weight: 3202 g vs 3053 g (crude difference, 150 g, 95% CI, 56 to 244; P = .002); birth-weight-for-gestational-age z score: 0.52 vs 0.31 (crude difference, 0.21, 95% CI, -0.11 to 0.52; P = .20); and at 1 month after birth: maternal hemoglobin concentration: 12.89 g/dL vs 11.99 g/dL (crude difference, 0.90 g/dL, 95% CI, 0.61 to 1.19; P < .001); geometric mean maternal plasma ferritin concentration: 32.1 µg/L vs 14.4 µg/L (crude difference, 123.4%, 95% CI, 85.5% to 169.1%; P < .001); geometric mean neonatal plasma ferritin concentration: 163.0 µg/L vs 138.7 µg/L (crude difference, 17.5%, 95% CI, 2.4% to 34.8%; P = .02). Serious adverse events were reported for 9 and 12 women who received iron and placebo, respectively. There was no evidence that intervention effects on Plasmodium infection risk were modified by intermittent preventive treatment use. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Among rural Kenyan women with singleton pregnancies, administration of daily iron supplementation, compared with administration of placebo, resulted in no significant differences in overall maternal Plasmodium infection risk. Iron supplementation led to increased birth weight. TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01308112.
Authors: Vickie S Braithwaite; Martin N Mwangi; Kerry S Jones; Ayşe Y Demir; Ann Prentice; Andrew M Prentice; Pauline E A Andang'o; Hans Verhoef Journal: Am J Clin Nutr Date: 2021-05-08 Impact factor: 7.045
Authors: M M Goheen; R Wegmüller; A Bah; B Darboe; E Danso; M Affara; D Gardner; J C Patel; A M Prentice; C Cerami Journal: EBioMedicine Date: 2016-11-09 Impact factor: 8.143
Authors: Jordan E Cates; Holger W Unger; Valerie Briand; Nadine Fievet; Innocent Valea; Halidou Tinto; Umberto D'Alessandro; Sarah H Landis; Seth Adu-Afarwuah; Kathryn G Dewey; Feiko O Ter Kuile; Meghna Desai; Stephanie Dellicour; Peter Ouma; Julie Gutman; Martina Oneko; Laurence Slutsker; Dianne J Terlouw; Simon Kariuki; John Ayisi; Mwayiwawo Madanitsa; Victor Mwapasa; Per Ashorn; Kenneth Maleta; Ivo Mueller; Danielle Stanisic; Christentze Schmiegelow; John P A Lusingu; Anna Maria van Eijk; Melissa Bauserman; Linda Adair; Stephen R Cole; Daniel Westreich; Steven Meshnick; Stephen Rogerson Journal: PLoS Med Date: 2017-08-08 Impact factor: 11.069
Authors: Emily M Teshome; Walter Otieno; Sofie R Terwel; Victor Osoti; Ayşe Y Demir; Pauline E A Andango; Andrew M Prentice; Hans Verhoef Journal: Contemp Clin Trials Commun Date: 2017-04-28