'Iron tablets a must for kids, teens'

Iron-Folic Acid (IFA) supplementation is just one but an important component that controls anaemia. Weekly IFA supplementation is necessary for children and adolescents even if they are not anaemic. "For anaemic persons, especially adolescent girls, doctors prescribe IFA tablets daily. The problem is, these girls tend to discontinue it because there are no perceptible symptoms of anaemia," New Delhi-based Public Health Nutrition and Development Centre director Dr Sheila Vir said. Dr Vir prescribes IFA supplementation to newly-wed women as well. "At least 40% married women are pregnant during the first year of marriage. They should immediately start taking IFA tablets," she says and adds pregnant women are supposed to take 100 IFA tablets starting from fourth trimester, but this realisation is yet to dawn on expectant mothers in Bihar. tnn Experts also put stress on fortification of meals as an important tool to combat anaemia. Fortification means adding an iron-rich mixture to the cereals during the time of milling. "Many states are doing it with wheat and few with rice," Dr Vir says. However, Bihar is yet to adopt fortified meals for its midday meal, anganwadi or PDS schemes. Commoners, experts advise, should buy fortified wheat flour available in the market. Iron deficiency occurs because we usually do not intake iron as much as is required. "Milk, contrary to common perception, is not an adequate source of iron. Flesh food should supplement it," says the expert. The NIPI (National Iron Plus Initiative) document lists iron-rich foods as mustard leaf, mint, lentil, soya bean, ginger, kala chana, methi, onion stalks, spinach, arahar dal, black gram dal, watermelon, kuchha kela, pumpkin and mutton. "Anaemia is preventable and reversible if one adheres to these measures," says Dr Vir.
Source: 'Iron tablets a must for kids, teens'