Effect of Iron and Copper Therapy on Hemoglobin Content of the Blood of Infants

In a recent study by Elvehjem, Peterson and Mendenhall1on the hemoglobin content of the blood of seven hundred and fifty infants varying in age from birth to 5 years, it was shown that the average value for children from 6 months to 2½ years of age was between 11 and 12 Gm. per hundred cubic centimeters. Since these children were from different kinds of homes it was impossible to determine whether the low figure for hemoglobin at that age was a normal condition or was due to a dietary deficiency. A definite answer can be made only when a study is made of children known to be receiving ample supplies of blood-forming elements. In this report we present values for hemoglobin obtained with children receiving, in addition to their regular diet, known amounts of iron and copper salts. The children studied were healthy infants brought to the Dudgeon