A study conducted by scientists at the ICMR–National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR-NIN) has found that early screening of young children for anaemia, followed by timely iron-folic acid (IFA) supplementation, can reduce anaemia prevalence by nearly 80%, underscoring the effectiveness of India’s Anaemia Mukt Bharat (AMB) programme.
Published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the study also reported that adding probiotic supplementation to iron therapy did not provide any additional benefits in improving iron absorption, gut health, or clinical outcomes.
Anaemia continues to be a major public health concern in India, particularly among young children, where iron deficiency can adversely affect physical growth, cognitive development, and immunity.
These findings reaffirm the effectiveness of early screening and timely treatment based on national guidelines. The study further investigated whether probiotic supplementation could enhance iron absorption or improve gut health during iron therapy. However, children receiving probiotics showed no additional improvement in haemoglobin levels, iron status, gut health markers, or common childhood illnesses compared with those receiving iron-folic acid supplementation alone.
The research was carried out among children living in urban slums of Hyderabad. A total of 825 children under five years of age were screened, of whom 248 children aged 13–57 months with mild to moderate anaemia were enrolled in a 90-day randomized controlled trial. The intervention compared standard iron-folic acid supplementation alone with iron therapy combined with the probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum.
Researchers ensured high compliance of over 80% through directly supervised supplementation. The results showed a significant rise in haemoglobin levels, with an average increase of about 2 grams/decilitre after treatment. Overall, anaemia prevalence declined by nearly 77%, iron deficiency dropped by 98%, and iron deficiency anaemia was completely eliminated among children who completed the intervention.
The study concluded that early detection and prompt treatment in line with national guidelines remain highly effective in combating childhood anaemia. However, the addition of probiotics did not lead to any measurable improvement in haemoglobin levels, iron status, gut health indicators, or rates of common childhood illnesses when compared with iron-folic acid supplementation alone.
In a statement Dr Teena Dasi and Dr Ravindranadh Palika, scientists and lead investigators of the study, said, “Our findings demonstrate that screening children for anaemia and providing timely iron-folic acid treatment according to the Anaemia Mukt Bharat guidelines can substantially reduce the burden of anaemia, iron deficiency, and iron deficiency anaemia in young children when compliance to the intervention is high. Although probiotics were found to be safe, they did not provide additional benefits over standard iron-folic acid therapy in this community setting.”
Dr Bharati Kulkarni, Director, ICMR-NIN said: “This study provides strong scientific evidence supporting India’s ‘Screen and Treat’ approach for childhood anaemia under the Anaemia Mukt Bharat programme. The findings reaffirm that early screening and timely iron-folic acid treatment, implemented according to national guidelines, can substantially reduce the burden of childhood anaemia when high compliance can be achieved. Importantly, the study also shows that routine co-supplementation with probiotics alongside iron-folic acid may not be necessary in similar community settings, thereby avoiding additional programme costs without compromising treatment effectiveness”.
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