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Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations
Published on: July 1, 2015
Prenatal Iron Deficiency and Auditory Brainstem Responses at 3 and 10 Months: A Pilot Study
1Department of Gastroenterology, Children's Hospital Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 57 Zhugan Xiang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310003, China.
Insights
Prenatal iron deficiency negatively impacts infant auditory development. This study found that iron deficiency before birth can delay auditory brainstem response (ABR) maturation in infants, affecting their auditory system development.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pediatrics
- Hematology
Background:
- Prenatal iron deficiency is a global concern.
- Iron is crucial for brain development.
- Auditory brainstem response (ABR) assesses auditory pathway maturation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between prenatal iron deficiency and auditory brainstem response (ABR) maturation in infants.
- To determine if maternal iron status during pregnancy affects infant auditory system development.
Main Methods:
- Recruited 115 healthy infants with maternal and cord blood iron status assessed.
- Conducted ABR testing at 3 and 10 months of age.
- Compared ABR variables between infants with and without prenatal iron deficiency or anemia.
Main Results:
- Infants of anemic mothers showed prolonged ABR latencies at 3 months.
- Low cord blood ferritin at birth was linked to longer wave I and V latencies and smaller wave V amplitude at 10 months.
- Infants with low ferritin and anemia at 10 months exhibited longer wave III-V latency.
Conclusions:
- Prenatal iron deficiency adversely affects the developing central nervous and auditory systems in infants.
- ABR assessments at 3 and 10 months indicate these developmental impacts.
- Early iron status is critical for normal auditory pathway maturation.
Purpose:
To examine whether prenatal iron deficiency delays auditory brainstem response (ABR) maturation in infancy.
Methods:
One hundred and fifteen full-term healthy Chinese infants with maternal and cord blood haemoglobin and serum ferritin determinations were recruited into this study. Forty-eight infants received ABR testing at 3 months, and 45 infants were tested at 10 months. Comparison of the ABR variables were made between infants with and those without evidence of prenatal iron deficiency (maternal 3rd trimester haemoglobin <110 g/L, cord blood ferritin <75 μg/L); or anaemia at 10 months (haemoglobin <110 g/L).
Results:
Latencies for wave V and wave III-V and I-V intervals were prolonged at 3 months in infants of anaemic mothers (effect sizes 1.02-1.19 SD). At 10 months, infants with low cord blood serum ferritin (indicating low iron stores at birth) showed longer wave I latency and possibly wave V latency also, besides demonstrating a smaller wave V amplitude (effect sizes 0.58-0.62 SD). Infants with low ferritin at birth and anemia at 10 months had longer wave III-V latency than other groups.
Conclusion:
In full-term healthy infants, prenatal iron deficiency appears to have adverse effects on the developing central nervous system and auditory system as assessed by ABRs at 3 and/or 10 months.
