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    Relationship between vitamin D, iron, and hepcidin in premenopausal females, potentially confounded by ethnicity.
    (Springer Nature, 2023-08-29) Greenwood A; Von Hurst PR; Beck KL; Mazahery H; Lim K; Badenhorst CE
    PURPOSE: To investigate the associations between vitamin D, hepcidin, and iron status in premenopausal females of different ethnic cohorts residing in Auckland, New Zealand (NZ). METHODS: A total of 160 females aged 18-45 years participated in a cross-sectional study. Demographics, body composition, serum 25(OH)D, inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein and interleukin-6, IL-6), and iron biomarkers (serum ferritin, haemoglobin, soluble transferrin receptor, and hepcidin) were measured. Comparisons between parametric, non-parametric, and categorical variables were completed by using one-way ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis, and Chi-squared tests, respectively. ANCOVA was used to compare serum 25(OH)D across iron parameter categories. RESULTS: Of the 160 participants, 60 were NZ European, 67 were South Asian, and 33 were from the 'other' ethnic groups. South Asians had significantly higher body fat percentage (BF%) and IL-6 concentration (38.34% and 1.66 pg·mL-1, respectively), compared to NZ Europeans (27.49% and 0.63 pg·mL-1, respectively, p < 0.001). South Asians had significantly lower 25(OH)D concentrations compared to NZ Europeans (33.59 nmol·L-1 vs 74.84 nmol·L-1, p < 0.001). In NZ Europeans, higher 25(OH)D concentration was seen in those with lower (≤ 3.5 nM) hepcidin concentration, p = 0.0046. In South Asians, higher 25(OH)D concentration was seen in those with higher (> 3.5 nM) hepcidin concentrations, p = 0.038. There were no associations between serum 25(OH)D and serum ferritin. CONCLUSION: Within South Asian women, an unexpected positive relationship between 25(OH)D and hepcidin concentration was observed which may be due to significantly higher IL-6 concentrations, BF%, and lower 25(OH)D concentrations. Future research is required to confirm these observations in this ethnic cohort.
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    Baby Food Pouches, Baby-Led Weaning, and Iron Status in New Zealand Infants: An Observational Study.
    (MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2024-05-15) McLean NH; Haszard JJ; Daniels L; Taylor RW; Wheeler BJ; Conlon CA; Beck KL; von Hurst PR; Te Morenga LA; McArthur J; Paul R; Katiforis I; Brown KJ; Gash MC; Rowan MM; Casale M; Cox AM; Jones EA; Jupiterwala RM; Bruckner B; Fleming L; Heath A-LM; Chen Y; Tran PV; Felt BT
    Iron deficiency in infants can impact development, and there are concerns that the use of baby food pouches and baby-led weaning may impair iron status. First Foods New Zealand (FFNZ) was an observational study of 625 New Zealand infants aged 6.9 to 10.1 months. Feeding methods were defined based on parental reports of infant feeding at "around 6 months of age": "frequent" baby food pouch use (five+ times per week) and "full baby-led weaning" (the infant primarily self-feeds). Iron status was assessed using a venepuncture blood sample. The estimated prevalence of suboptimal iron status was 23%, but neither feeding method significantly predicted body iron concentrations nor the odds of iron sufficiency after controlling for potential confounding factors including infant formula intake. Adjusted ORs for iron sufficiency were 1.50 (95% CI: 0.67-3.39) for frequent pouch users compared to non-pouch users and 0.91 (95% CI: 0.45-1.87) for baby-led weaning compared to traditional spoon-feeding. Contrary to concerns, there was no evidence that baby food pouch use or baby-led weaning, as currently practiced in New Zealand, were associated with poorer iron status in this age group. However, notable levels of suboptimal iron status, regardless of the feeding method, emphasise the ongoing need for paying attention to infant iron nutrition.