Groundwater iron has the ground: Low prevalence of anemia and iron deficiency anemia in Bangladesh

Abstract

Dear Editor: Stewart et al. (1) presented a robust trial assessing the effects of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) and nutrition-specific interventions (lipid-based nutrient supplements and infant and young child feeding) on anemia and micronutrient status among children in Kenya and Bangladesh. The trial found a lower prevalence of anemia and iron deficiency anemia in Bangladesh than in Kenya. The authors suggested that their results in the Bangladesh site differed from the Bangladesh national micronutrient survey 2011–2012 because the 2011 survey used capillary sampling, whereas they used venous blood sampling. This was not the case; the 2011 survey used venous blood to measure hemoglobin (2). Alternatively, the difference in anemia prevalence seen between the 2 studies might be that one was a national survey, and the other was conducted in a localized setting.