The role of fortified cereal in anemia treatment

How fortified cereals impact anemia in Indonesian infants and young children

Nestlé research, published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health indicates that the consumption of fortified infant cereals could help reduce the burden of anemia on infants and young children. This, in turn, could also have long-term economic, health and social benefits.

Yulianti Wibowo of the Nestlé Nutrition Institute Indonesia and her colleagues used data from existing Indonesian demographic surveys and found that 63% of infants and young children were anemic. It was found that the highest rates of anemia were among children in the lowest socio-economic status group.

The researchers used modelling to assess the potential impact of fortified infant cereal consumption and found it could reduce cognitive impairment and mortality.