Ferrous sulfate syrup coverage and use in young Brazilian children
What it found
Only 6.3% of eligible children were reached by a ferrous sulfate syrup program, and just 2.4% received it as directed.
The findings come from health records in one Brazilian city.
What they found
Studies in people
Very low program reach
Out of 13,197 children aged six to 18 months, only 834 were registered in the iron program. That means the program covered just 6.3% of eligible children in these clinics.
Few followed directions
The program asks for a 60mL bottle of ferrous sulfate syrup every three months, with a 5mL dose once a week. Only 2.4% of registered children started on time and picked up bottles often enough.
Bottles picked up late
More than 80% of children received their syrup bottles at gaps longer than six months. Only 7.3% picked them up every three months as planned.
Clinic area mattered most
Whether families followed the rules was linked to which part of the city their clinic was in. In two districts, no children met the guidelines fully. Distance from home to the clinic made no difference.
Family traits had no link
A child's sex, the mother's education level, and the mother's skin color did not affect whether the family followed the supplement directions.
What the authors conclude
- They conclude that the ferrous sulfate program reached very few children and that almost none followed the dosing rules correctly.
- They suggest the problems likely stem from poor distribution or doctors not prescribing the syrup, rather than from families living too far away.
- They advise better training for health workers so more families stick with the program.
How it was done
Iron-deficiency anemia affects about half of young children in Brazil. A national program gives ferrous sulfate syrup to prevent it, but few studies have checked if the program actually reaches children.
Researchers looked at electronic health records from 35 public clinics in Florianópolis, Brazil, for the year 2010. They checked data for all 13,197 children aged six to 18 months registered at those clinics. They measured how many children got ferrous sulfate syrup and whether families followed the dosing schedule.
What it can’t tell you
- This study looked at clinic records, not at blood tests, so it cannot show whether the children who took the syrup avoided anemia.
- Because it used existing records from one city, it cannot prove exactly why so few children received the supplement.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- Conflito de interesse: nada a declarar
The paper
- Title
- Coverage and adequacy of ferrous sulfate supplementation in the prevention of anemia among children treated at health centers of Florianopolis, Santa Catarina
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Cembranel F, Corso AC, González-Chica DA (2013). Coverage and adequacy of ferrous sulfate supplementation in the prevention of anemia among children treated at health centers of Florianopolis, Santa Catarina. Revista paulista de pediatria. doi:10.1590/S0103-05822013000300007Free full textPubMed 24142313DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error