Table 2 Mean and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) of serum Haemoglobin, Haematocrit, body weight and iron parameters per day* per group**

Haemoglobin (mmol/L)

C

5.41 (5.10–5.72)

5.24 (4.78–5.70)

5.89 (5.43–6.36)

6.01 (5.78–6.24)

N

5.25 (5.00–5.51)

6.73 (6.49–6.97)

7.33 (7.17–7.47)

6.47 (6.31–6.63)

NF

4.95 (4.65–5.24)

6.64 (6.33–6.94)

7.28 (7.00–7.55)

6.38 (6.18–6.58)

Haematocrit (Vol%)

C

0.29 (0.27–0.30)

0.28 (0.26–0.31)

0.32 (0.30–0.34)

0.32 (0.31–0.34)

N

0.28 (0.26–0.29)

0.35 (0.34–0.36)

0.38 (0.37–0.39)

0.34 (0.33–0.35)

NF

0.26 (0.24–0.28)

0.35 (0.33–0.36)

0.37 (0.36–0.39)

0.33 (0.31–0.34)

Body weight (kg)

C

1.97 (1.81–2.12)

4.65 (4.25–5.04)

7.86 (7.13–8.58)

12.52 (11.54–13.50)

N

1.92 (1.81–2.03)

4.56 (4.25–4.87)

7.92 (7.41–8.42)

12.59 (11.84–13.34)

NF

1.91 (1.82–2.00)

4.26 (3.91–4.61)

7.54 (7.00–8.08)

12.26 (11.80–12.71)

Serum iron (µmol/L)

C

12.63 (9.23–16.04)

18.67 (10.40–26.93)

23.72 (15.37–32.08)

30.60 (25.49–35.72)

N

13.77 (9.82–17.71)

37.97 (33.10–42.84)

27.05 (22.36–31.75)

27.57 (23.24–31.89)

NF

14.87 (11.54–18.19)

34.13 (29.88–38.37)

29.21 (26.36–32.06)

26.12 (22.06–30.18)

Iron binding capacity (µmol/L)

C

51.09 (42.11–60.06)

86.81 (73.29–100.33)

92.73 (83.48–101.97)

79.14 (73.08–85.19)

N

50.07 (41.25–58.89)

54.70 (48.16–61.24)

65.97 (59.23–72.71)

72.06 (68.25–75.88)

NF

56.30 (48.72–63.88)

50.24 (44.93–55.56)

62.35 (57.70–67.00)

68.72 (65.57–71.87)

Iron saturation (%)

C

29.62 (18.49–40.75)

27.70 (13.13–42.26)

28.97 (17.00–40.94)

38.51 (31.85–45.18)

N

37.47 (24.25–50.68)

70.52 (63.41–77.62)

44.80 (35.58–54.01)

38.46 (32.59–44.33)

NF

31.56 (22.68–40.45)

69.20 (62.30–76.10)

47.93 (42.69–53.18)

37.91 (32.58–43.24)