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Updated: May 30, 2026
Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations
Published on: July 1, 2015
Effects of iron supplementation on auditory brainstem response in marginally LBW infants
Staffan K Berglund1, Björn Westrup, Elisabet Haraldsson
1Department of Clinical Sciences, Pediatrics, Umeå University, SE-901 85 Umeå, Sweden. staffan.berglund@pediatri.umu.se
Insights
Iron supplements did not shorten auditory brainstem response (ABR) latencies in marginally low birth weight infants. Iron deficiency did not significantly impair ABR latencies at six months in this population.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal Medicine
- Neurodevelopmental Pediatrics
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Low birth weight (LBW) infants are susceptible to iron deficiency (ID).
- Iron deficiency is linked to impaired nervous system development and prolonged auditory brainstem response (ABR) latencies.
- Marginally low birth weight (MLBW) infants (2000-2500g) may benefit from iron supplementation to support neurological development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of iron supplementation on ABR latencies in MLBW infants.
- To determine if iron deficiency is associated with prolonged ABR latencies in this cohort.
- To assess the impact of varying iron doses on auditory pathway development.
Main Methods:
- A randomized, controlled trial involving 285 healthy MLBW infants.
- Infants received 0, 1, or 2 mg iron/kg/day from 6 weeks to 6 months of age.
- Auditory brainstem response (ABR) absolute wave V latencies and central conduction time (CCT) were measured.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in ABR wave V latencies were observed between iron supplementation groups.
- Infants with iron deficiency did not exhibit significantly prolonged ABR latencies.
- Central conduction time (CCT) was higher in the 2 mg iron group, but not correlated with iron status.
Conclusions:
- Iron supplementation did not improve ABR latencies in MLBW infants.
- Iron deficiency at 6 months did not appear to impair ABR latencies in MLBW infants.
- ABR may not be a sensitive indicator of mild/moderate iron deficiency-related neurological impairment in this population.
Abstract:
LBW infants are at risk of iron deficiency (ID), which is associated with impaired nervous system development and may lead to prolonged auditory brainstem response (ABR) latencies. We hypothesized that iron supplementation shortens ABR latencies in marginally LBW (MLBW, 2000-2500 g) infants. In a randomized, controlled trial, 285 healthy MLBW infants received 0, 1, or 2 mg iron/kg/d of iron supplements from 6 wk to 6 mo of age. ABR absolute wave V latencies and central conduction time (CCT) were measured at the endpoint. There were no significant differences between groups in ABR wave V latencies (n = 218). Furthermore, there were no significantly prolonged ABR latencies in infants with ID (n = 32). CCT was significantly higher in the 2 mg group than in the placebo group (n = 126). However, there were no significant correlations between CCT and iron intake or any iron status variable, suggesting that differences in CCT were not caused by iron. We conclude that iron supplements did not improve ABR latencies, and iron-deficient MLBW infants did not have impaired ABR latencies at 6 mo, suggesting that ABR is not a sensitive measure of impaired neurological development or that mild/moderate ID causes no such impairment in MLBW infants.
