IJSR - International Journal of Scientific Research

Sivakami Ramalingam; Yegammai Chidambaram

Volume : VI, Issue : I, January - 2017

IRON, ZINC, FOLIC ACID AND VITAMIN B12 CONTENT OF FORTIFIED RICE CONSUMED AND HAEMOGLOBIN STATUS OF SCHOOL GOING ANAEMIC ADOLESCENTS

Sivakami Ramalingam, Yegammai Chidambaram

Abstract :

Objective: to assess the effect of extruded rice fortified with haemopoietic micronutrient such as iron, zinc, folate and vitaminB₁₂on haemoglobin status in adolescents.Methodology:The investigation was carried out in a rural higher secondary school of Uthramelur Taluk in Kancheepuram district of Tamilnadu, India. A total of 250 adolescents in the age group of 10 to 18 years residing in the school hostel, studying from standard VI to XII, were screened for the blood haemoglobin levels by cyanmethhaemoglobin method, 0.02 micro litre of capillary blood was drown by finger prick method , incubated for three minutes and immediately analysed using semi autoanalyser for haemoglobin concentration and the results were compared with WHO (2011) cut off value. Out of 250, 220 who were anaemic and willing to participate in the study were included for the study but only 201 adolescents could complete the study due to various reasons.Food weighment survey was conducted in 12 per cent of the adolescents including all the age groups and both genders and the mean dietary deficit of these micronutrients was arrived at for deciding the quantity of nutrients required for supplementation. Based on the deficit, the composition for the rice premix was evolved and it was manufactured by a PATH (Promoting Appropriate Technology in Health) approved indian manufacturer. One gram of developed rice premix provided 19.6 mg of iron, 60.2 mcg of folate, 0.1mcg of vitamin B₁₂ and 4.1 mg of zinc.This rice premix was mixed with the regular rice in the proportion of 0.8: 99.2. The micronutrient composition of the rice premix was planned so that consumption of 120 g of fortified rice would fill up the gap of the haemopoietic micronutrients. Deworming was carried out by administering albendazole tablets for all the adolescents. The selected 220 adolescents were randomly assigned to control and experimental groups. All the adolescents in the experimental group were served with the eakfast prepared with the fortified rice while the control group received the eakfast prepared with the unfortified regular rice. The feeding was carried out for 6 days a week and for a total of 250 days. The impact of the intervention was assessed through anthropometric measurements –body weight, height(computed BMI), biochemical parameters namely, blood haemoglobin, All these parameters were evaluated before the start of supplementation and at the end of the supplementation period.Result: The BMI of the adolescents revealed that there was no significant difference between control and experimental group of boys and girls. There was a significant increase in the mean haemoglobin level of all the adolescents (both gender and both the groups). However, a rise was 32%(3.04 g/dl) among the adolescents of experimetal group whereas in the control group it was only 6%(0.64 g/dl) Conclusion:The results reveal that fotification of staple food with haemopoietic micronutrient is an effecitve strategy to improve haemoglobin status and reduce the prevalence of anaemia