Serum Hemoglobin Level, Anemia, and Growth Were Unaffected by a 12-Month Multiple-Micronutrient Powder Intervention Among Children Aged 8–10 Months in a Low-Socioeconomic-Status Community of Jakarta

• Published in: Nutrients Vol. 17; no. 15; p. 2520
• Main Authors: Chandra, Dian, Bardosono, Saptawati, Sundjaya, Tonny, Wiguna, Tjhin, Sekartini, Rini
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 31.07.2025; MDPI
• Subjects: Anemia; Anemia - blood; Anemia, Iron-Deficiency - blood; Diarrhea; Dietary Supplements; Double-Blind Method; Female; Food; Growth Disorders - blood; Growth Disorders - prevention & control; Hemoglobin; Hemoglobins - analysis; Hemoglobins - metabolism; Humans; Indonesia - epidemiology; Infant; Iron; Male; Medical history; Micronutrients - administration & dosage; Poverty; Powders; Premature birth; Public health; Statistical power; Vitamin A; Indonesia; Jakarta Indonesia; multi-micronutrient powder; infants 8–10 months; growth; hemoglobin level; anemia
• ISSN: 2072-6643; 2072-6643
• DOI: 10.3390/nu17152520

Background and Objectives: Anemia and stunting are major public health concerns for young Indonesian children. Limited information is available from studies on multi-micronutrient supplements in Indonesia. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of 12-month multi-micronutrient powder (MNP) supplementation on serum hemoglobin levels, anemia, and growth. Methods: A randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled study was performed, including 232 eligible children aged 8–10 months old. Children with severe anemia or stunting/those classed as underweight were not included as subjects. The study was performed in a low-socioeconomic-status community in Jakarta. With an active-to-placebo ratio of 60:40, 139 subjects received MNP sachets twice/day, and 93 subjects received placebo sachets, mixed with complementary food. The outcome parameters were hemoglobin level, anemia, and growth indicators. Per-protocol analysis was performed for 179 (intervention: 110; control: 69) subjects. Results: There were no differences at baseline between the groups, except for the weight-for-length z-scores (WLZ). Upon intervention, the serum hemoglobin level and anemia proportion did not change significantly within the group, and no significant differences were found between the groups (p > 0.05). However, subgroup analysis of non-anemic children at baseline showed a significant increase in hemoglobin levels in the youngest age group (8.0–8.9 months old) receiving MNP compared to placebo (0.13 vs. −0.79, p = 0.031). Iron deficiency anemia proportion showed a similar upward trend upon intervention in both groups. No significant differences in growth were found between both groups. Conclusions: This study failed to find a significant effect of 12-month MNP supplementation on serum hemoglobin level, anemia, and growth.