IV iron therapy effectively improves anemia in pediatric patients with IBD: Study

These patients experienced an increase in mean hemoglobin (Hb) levels by 1.9 g/dL at their first outpatient follow-up which is markedly higher than the increases noticed in the individuals who received oral iron or no iron treatment, which were both only 0.8 g/dL. This study also highlighted the safety of IV iron therapy with only one reported adverse reaction among the 57 patients treated through this method which translated to an incidence rate of just 1.8%. This low rate of adverse events suggests that IV iron is both a safe and more effective alternative to oral iron supplements for managing IDA in pediatric IBD patients.

These results provide empirical support for clinicians who consider IV iron therapy for young patients. Improved hemoglobin and iron levels significantly improve the quality of life and overall health outcomes for children suffering from this chronic condition. Overall, the findings from this study pave the way for more standardized use of IV iron in pediatric IBD treatment to reduce the reluctance among healthcare providers to utilize this treatment.

Source:

Manokaran, K., Spaan, J., Cataldo, G., Lyons, C., Mitchell, P. D., Sare, T., Zimmerman, L. A., & Rufo, P. A. (2024). Inpatient management of iron deficiency anemia in pediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease: A single center experience. In World Journal of Clinical Pediatrics (Vol. 13, Issue 1). Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. https://doi.org/10.5409/wjcp.v13.i1.89318