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Preschool micronutrient supplementation effects on intellectual and motor function in school-aged Nepalese children
Laura E Murray-Kolb1, Subarna K Khatry, Joanne Katz
1Department of Nutritional Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, USA.
Insights
Micronutrient supplementation with iron, folic acid, or zinc in early childhood did not improve intellectual or motor function later in life. These findings suggest no long-term developmental benefits from these specific preschool-age supplements.
Area of Science:
- Nutritional science
- Developmental pediatrics
- Public health nutrition
Background:
- Micronutrient deficiencies are common in early childhood, potentially impacting cognitive and motor development.
- Supplementation aims to mitigate these deficiencies and improve developmental outcomes.
- Understanding long-term effects of early supplementation is crucial for public health interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the long-term effects of preschool-age micronutrient supplementation on intellectual and motor functioning.
- To assess the impact of iron plus folic acid and/or zinc supplementation on cognitive and motor skills in school-aged children.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial followed 734 children in rural Nepal from 12-35 months of age.
- Participants received iron plus folic acid, zinc, both, or placebo.
- Intellectual, motor, and executive functions were assessed at 7-9 years of age.
Main Results:
- Iron plus folic acid supplementation showed no significant effect on overall or individual intellectual, motor, or executive function measures.
- Zinc supplementation demonstrated a potential overall effect in unadjusted analysis, but individual test score differences were not significant.
- Adjusted analysis revealed no significant overall effect for zinc supplementation.
Conclusions:
- Preschool micronutrient supplementation with iron plus folic acid or zinc did not yield long-term benefits in intellectual, motor, or executive function.
- The study suggests no lasting developmental advantages from iron or zinc supplementation during the 12-35 month age period in this population.
- Further research may be needed to explore optimal timing, dosage, or combinations of micronutrients for developmental benefits.
Objective:
To examine intellectual and motor functioning of children who received micronutrient supplementation from 12 to 35 months of age.
Design:
Cohort follow-up of children 7 to 9 years of age who participated in a 2 × 2 factorial, placebo-controlled, randomized trial from October 2001 through January 2006.
Setting:
Rural Nepal.
Participants:
A total of 734 children 12 to 35 months of age at supplementation and 7 to 9 years of age at testing.
Interventions:
Children received iron plus folic acid (12.5 mg of iron and 50 μg of folic acid); zinc (10 mg); iron plus folic acid and zinc; or placebo.
Main Outcome Measures:
Intellectual, motor, and executive function.
Results:
In both the unadjusted and adjusted analyses, iron plus folic acid supplementation had no effect overall or on any individual outcome measures being tested. In the unadjusted analysis, zinc supplementation had an overall effect, although none of the individual test score differences were significant. In the adjusted analysis, the overall difference was not significant.
Conclusion:
In rural Nepal, we found that iron plus folic acid or zinc supplementation during the preschool years had no effect on aspects of intellectual, executive, and motor function at 7 to 9 years of age, suggesting no long-term developmental benefit of iron or zinc supplementation during 12 to 35 months of age.
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