Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 29, 2026

Author Spotlight: Developing a Point-of-Care Hemoglobin Estimation Method for Anemia Management
05:35

Author Spotlight: Developing a Point-of-Care Hemoglobin Estimation Method for Anemia Management

Published on: January 19, 2024

1.7K

Daily iron supplementation on cognitive performance in primary-school-aged children with and without anemia: a

Xiu-Min Guo1, Hui Liu1, Jing Qian2

  • 1Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Liaocheng People's Hospital Shandong, Liaocheng 252000, China.

International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medicine
|December 3, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Daily iron supplementation does not appear to improve cognitive scores in primary-school-aged children. More research is needed to clarify the effects of iron on cognitive development in this age group.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Health
  • Nutritional Science
  • Cognitive Development

Background:

  • Anemia and iron deficiency are significant public health issues in children.
  • Previous studies suggest a link between iron deficiency anemia and impaired cognitive development.
  • The impact of iron supplementation on cognitive function in school-aged children requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy of daily iron supplementation on cognitive performance in primary-school-aged children.
  • To synthesize evidence from randomized and quasi-randomized controlled trials.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review and random effects meta-analysis of controlled trials.
  • Searched electronic databases (MEDLINE, Wangfang) and other sources up to August 2015.
  • Included studies focused on children aged 5-12 years receiving daily iron supplementation.

Main Results:

  • Five full-text papers involving 1825 children were included in the analysis.
  • Iron supplementation did not demonstrate a significant improvement in global cognitive scores (Mean difference 1.05, 95% CI -2.69 to 4.79).

Conclusions:

  • Current evidence does not support the use of daily iron supplementation to enhance global cognitive outcomes in primary-school-aged children.
  • Further research is necessary to definitively understand the role of iron supplementation in cognitive development for this population.

Keywords:
Iron supplementationcognitive performancemeta-analysis

More Related Videos

The Caco-2 Cell Bioassay for Measurement of Food Iron Bioavailability06:34

The Caco-2 Cell Bioassay for Measurement of Food Iron Bioavailability

Published on: April 28, 2022

6.0K
Setup of Capillary Electrophoresis-Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry CE-ICP-MS for Quantification of Iron Redox Species FeII, FeIII04:48

Setup of Capillary Electrophoresis-Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry CE-ICP-MS for Quantification of Iron Redox Species FeII, FeIII

Published on: May 4, 2020

8.8K

Related Concept Videos

Environmental Influences on Intelligence01:29

Environmental Influences on Intelligence

Despite the strong genetic influence on traits like intelligence, environmental factors significantly shape outcomes. For example, while over 90% of height variation is due to genetic differences, environmental factors such as nutrition also have a notable impact. Similarly, for intelligence, changes in a child's surroundings can significantly alter their IQ. Research shows that enriched environments boost children's academic success and help them develop key cognitive skills. Children...
1.1K
Information Processing Approach01:30

Information Processing Approach

The information-processing theory of cognitive development centers on fundamental mental processes, including attention, memory, and problem-solving skills. Researchers in this field examine how cognitive abilities, such as working memory, evolve and influence children's overall development. Studies indicate that children with stronger working memory tend to excel in reading comprehension, math, and problem-solving compared to peers with less efficient memory skills. Low working memory is...
767
The Periodic Table and Organismal Elements00:57

The Periodic Table and Organismal Elements

OverviewElements are the smallest units of matter that cannot be broken down further by chemical processes. There are 118 known elements, but not all of these are naturally-occurring, and fewer still are essential for life. Living matter is composed primarily of carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, and oxygen, with smaller amounts of other elements like calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and sulfur. Other elements are also necessary for life but only in trace amounts.The Periodic Table Provides Information...
205.6K