Introduction of solid foods and iron status in the first year of life of preterm infants are highly discussed topics. The aim of this study was to examine whether two timepoints of introduction of standardized solid foods in preterm infants have an impact on ferritin and other hematologic parameters important for iron status in the first year of life. This is a secondary outcome analysis of a prospective, randomized intervention trial in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants randomized to an early (10-12th week corrected age) or a late (16-18th week corrected age) complementary feeding group. Iron status was assessed with blood samples taken at 6 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months corrected age. In total, 177 infants were randomized (early group: n = 89, late group: n = 88). Ferritin showed no differences between study groups throughout the first year of life, as did all other parameters associated with iron status. At 12 months corrected age, the incidence of iron deficiency was significantly higher in the early feeding group. There is room for improvement of iron status in VLBW preterm infants, regular blood checks should be introduced, and current recommendations may need to be a reconsidered.
Keywords: iron intake; iron status; preterm infant; solid foods.