Studies Explore Multivitamins' Link to Anemia, Asthma in Children

WASHINGTON--Multivitamin supplementation may increase the risk of food allergies and asthma in some children, according to a study published this week in Pediatrics (114, 1:27-32, 2004) (http://pediatrics.aappublications.org). Researchers analyzed data from the National Center for Health Statistics 1988 National Maternal-Infant Health Survey, which followed pregnant women and their newborns, and the 1991 Longitudinal Follow-Up of the same patients. Data was sorted by race and breastfeeding status, while early vitamin supplementation in children was defined as vitamin use within the first six months.

More than 8,000 patients were involved in the analysis, which found a 10.5 percent incidence of asthma and a 4.9 percent incidence of food allergy. In the analyses, early vitamin supplementation was associated with a 30 percent higher risk of asthma in black infants. Infants of all racial groups who were exclusively fed formula had a 70 percent increased risk for food allergies.

Another study published in Pediatrics (114, 1:86-93, 2004) explored whether daily supplementation of multivitamins with iron could prevent anemia in high-risk infants. Six-month-old infants at three urban primary health clinic received standard dose multivitamins with (n=138) or without (n=146) 10 mg/d of iron for three months. After the treatment period, 21 percent of infants showed signs of anemia and/or iron deficiency. There was no significant difference in the incidence of the conditions between the control and intervention groups.

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