Delaying Iron Therapy until 28 Days after Antimalarial Treatment Is Associated with Greater Iron Incorporation and Equivalent Hematologic Recovery after 56 Days in Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial

In this study, researchers assessed absorption of therapeutic iron among children in Uganda that were given antimalarial treatment. Children aged 6-59 months with both malaria and anemia were randomly assigned to (1) iron therapy along with anti-malaria treatment, or (2) iron therapy 28 days after malaria treatment. Results showed that for children with malaria and anemia, delaying iron therapy improved iron absorption but resulted in comparable hematologic recovery by 56 days. The authors conclude that the results do not demonstrate a clear, short-term benefit of delaying iron.