Effect of a six-month iron-zinc fortified milk supplementation on nutritional status, physical capacity and speed learning process in Indonesian underweight schoolchildren: randomized, placebo-controlled

• Main Authors: Saptawati Bardosono, Lestari E. Dewi, Sri Sukmaniah, Inge Permadhi, Andayani D. Eka, Leilani Lestarina
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Faculty of Medicine Universitas Indonesia 2009-09-01
• Series: Medical Journal of Indonesia
• Online Access: http://mji.ui.ac.id/journal/index.php/mji/article/view/361

<p><strong>Aim</strong> to evaluated the effect of milk supplementation enriched with iron and zinc on indicators of growth, physical capacity and cognitive performance in underweight school-children.</p><p><strong>Method</strong> Two-armed, randomized controlled double-blind trial was performed in several primary schools in Jakarta and Surakarta, Indonesia. A total of 245 underweight schoolchildren aged 7-9 years living in urban poor areas of Jakarta and Solo were randomly allocated to receive two cups of iron-zinc fortified-milk (n = 121) or non-iron-zinc fortified milk (n= 124) supplementation daily for six months. Biochemical indicators, anthropometric indices, physical capacity and cognitive performance were measured at before and after the supplementation.</p><p><strong>Results</strong> The study shows that between the fortified and non-fortified milk group, there was no significant different in haemoglobin increase (0.01 + 0.96 mg/dL versus 0.17 + 0.81 mg/dL) nor serum ferritin increase (12.77 + 25.50 mcg/dL versus 14.99 + 29.56 mcg/dL). Unexpectedly, decreased in serum zinc was found in both groups (3.01 + 3.24 mMol/dL and 3.12 + 3.71 mMol/dL). There was significant higher increment (P=0.045) in body weight among the fortified milk group (1.31 + 0.69 kg) as compared to the non-fortified group (1.13 + 0.69 kg). Consistently, there was significant increase (P=0.025) in the indicator of underweight (WAZ) among the fortified milk group (1.47 + 0.50) as compared to the non-fortified group (1.33 + 0.47). There was significant improvement (P=0.001) of cognitive performance, i.e. coding test-score among the fortified group (12.74 + 11.76) as compared to the non-fortified group (8.31 + 9.60), but there was no significant difference found in the improvement of physical capacity score in both groups (10323.77 + 9253.83 versus 8435.94 + 8824.55).</p><p><strong>Conclusion</strong> Among underweight schoolchildren aged 7-9 y, supplementation of milk fortified with iron and zinc can provide better growth, and better speed processing of learning ability. <em><strong>(Med J Indones 2009; 18: 193-202)</strong></em></p><p><strong>Key words:</strong> <em>Iron and zinc, underweight, growth, physical capacity, cognitive function, schoolchildren</em></p>