Daily Multivitamins With Iron to Prevent Anemia in High-Risk Infants: A Randomized Clinical Trial

The goal of this study was to assess the effectiveness of multivitamins with iron as prophylaxis against iron deficiency and anemia in infancy. The study was a double-blinded, randomized, pragmatic, clinical trial conducted at 3 urban primary care clinics. Subjects included healthy, full-term infants who were enrolled at their 6-month well-child visit. Infants were randomly assigned to receive standard-dose multivitamins with or without iron (10 mg/day). Parents administered multivitamins by mouth daily for 3 months. Laboratory results at 9 months of age were analyzed for the presence of anemia and/or iron deficiency. Anemia was defined as hemoglobin level