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Psychomotor development in children with iron deficiency and iron-deficiency anemia

Emin Pala1, Muferet Erguven, Sirin Guven

  • 1Umraniye Education and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.

Food and Nutrition Bulletin
|October 27, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Iron-deficiency anemia significantly impairs children's psychomotor development. While iron deficiency without anemia shows some association, its effects on development remain debated. Early screening is crucial for at-risk infants.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Nutrition
  • Developmental Pediatrics
  • Hematology

Background:

  • Iron deficiency and iron-deficiency anemia are prevalent nutritional deficiencies in children globally, particularly in developing nations.
  • Infant iron-deficiency anemia is linked to neurodevelopmental deficits.
  • Emerging evidence suggests iron deficiency without anemia may also adversely affect psychomotor development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of iron deficiency and iron-deficiency anemia on the psychomotor development of children.
  • To assess the utility of the Denver II Developmental Screening Test (DDST-II) in identifying developmental delays in at-risk children.

Main Methods:

  • Psychomotor development was evaluated in healthy children using the Denver II Developmental Screening Test (DDST-II).
  • Scoring criteria included 'delay' ( >90th percentile), 'caution' (75th-90th percentile), 'normal' (no delay, one caution), and 'abnormal' (one+ delays or 2+ cautions).

Main Results:

  • Abnormal DDST-II scores were observed in 67.3% of children with iron-deficiency anemia, 21.6% with iron deficiency, and 15.0% of controls.
  • The difference in abnormal scores was statistically significant for the iron-deficiency anemia group (p < .01) compared to controls.
  • No significant difference was found between the iron deficiency group and controls (p = 0.203).

Conclusions:

  • Iron-deficiency anemia demonstrably impairs psychomotor development in childhood.
  • The impact of iron deficiency alone on psychomotor development requires further investigation, as current evidence is conflicting.
  • The DDST-II is an effective tool for early detection of developmental delays, especially in high-risk infants.
Abstract

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