NORMAL RANGE OF INTESTINAL IRON RESORPTION IN NEWBORNS AND INFANTS

The measurement of the whole body retention of absorbed59Fe within the 4 π-geometry of a whole body radioactivity detector with liquid organic scintillator is also for infants the most reliable, sensitive and considerate method for the quantitative estimation of the intestinal iron absorption. From a diagnostic oral 10 μMol (≙ 0.558 mg)59Fe++-dose 5-35 {Mathematical expression} % were absorbed by 39 fullterm and 8-37 {Mathematical expression} % by 28 premature 2-80 days old infants. The depletion of the whole body iron stores causes also in infants an increase of intestinal iron absorption. Fullterm and premature infants with prelatent/latent iron deficiency absorbed 40-81% of the diagnostic iron dose. As long as a dietary iron prophylaxis is ineffective because of the poor absorbability of food iron a well absorbable and tolerated inorganic iron preparation offers the most reliable and cheapest possibility of controlling the states of prelatent, latent and manifest iron depletion which are the most common deficiencies in man. © 1969 Springer-Verlag.