Question
| A. | Ferrous Sulphate |
| B. |
Ferrous Fumarate + B12 + Folic Acid + Vitamin C |
| C. |
Intravenous Iron |
| D. |
Ferrous Ascorbate |
|
Correct Answer » A Explanation |
 |
Ferrous Sulphate is one of the most widely recommended and cost-effective oral iron supplements for the prevention and treatment of iron deficiency anemia, especially in population-wide interventions.
It is included in numerous public health programs aimed at mass chemoprophylaxis due to its efficacy, affordability, and availability.
The National Consultation on Anemia Control recommends consumption of One IFA tablet by all women of reproductive age. It contains 100mg elemental iron and 500mcg folic acid. The WHO recommends elemental iron in the form of ferrous sulphate.
High-Yield Summary (Anemia Prevention in Populations):
Anemia is a major public health issue, often due to iron deficiency.
Prophylactic Iron Therapy: Oral iron supplements, particularly those combined with folic acid are preferred for preventing anemia in large populations.
- Iron Forms: Ferrous Fumarate, Ferrous Sulphate, Ferrous Ascorbate
- Supplement Additions: Folic acid (prevents neural tube defects and megaloblastic anemia), Vitamin B12 (essential for DNA synthesis and red blood cell production), Vitamin C (enhances iron absorption).
Populations at Risk: Pregnant women, young children, and those with poor dietary intake or chronic illnesses are particularly vulnerable to anemia.
Public Health Strategy: Mass supplementation programs often use combination therapies that provide multiple micronutrients to tackle the multifactorial causes of anemia.
Why option A (Ferrous sulphate) is correct:
– Standard of care in mass prophylaxis (e.g., National Iron Plus Initiative in India).
– Oral route is practical, cost-effective, safe, and well-accepted for community use.
– Supplies sufficient elemental iron to prevent iron deficiency in at-risk groups.
Why option B (Ferrous fumarate + B12 + folic acid + vitamin C) is incorrect:
– Multi-component formulations increase cost and complexity; not preferred for mass use.
– Additional vitamins may be justified for special populations (e.g., pregnancy, malabsorption), but not the general population.
– Not standard in national or WHO mass prophylaxis programs.
Why option C (Intravenous iron) is incorrect:
– IV iron is reserved for severe deficiency, intolerance to oral iron, or malabsorption.
– Requires medical facilities, risk of complications, and high cost.
– Not feasible or justified for mass prophylaxis in healthy or mildly affected populations.
– No large-scale public health program uses IV iron for routine prevention.Why option D (Ferrous ascorbate) is incorrect:
– More expensive and no proven superiority to ferrous sulphate in mass programs.
– Ascorbate increases absorption, but standard oral iron is sufficient for population-level prevention.
– Not adopted in national or WHO guidelines for prophylactic use.
