Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 23, 2026

EEG Mu Rhythm in Typical and Atypical Development
11:50

EEG Mu Rhythm in Typical and Atypical Development

Published on: April 9, 2014

26.6K

Microcytosis is associated with low cognitive outcomes in healthy 2-year-olds in a high-resource setting

Elaine K McCarthy1, Mairead E Kiely1, Geraldine Hannon2

  • 11Cork Centre for Vitamin D and Nutrition Research,University College Cork,Cork,Republic of Ireland.

The British Journal of Nutrition
|September 14, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Iron deficiency in healthy toddlers is linked to lower cognitive scores, even without anemia. Microcytosis, a sign of potential iron issues, indicates a need to re-evaluate diagnostic criteria for early childhood iron status.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Nutrition
  • Developmental Neuroscience
  • Hematology

Background:

  • Iron deficiency in early childhood has known long-term impacts on development.
  • Research in healthy, low-risk populations is limited.
  • Current diagnostic criteria for iron deficiency may not capture all at-risk children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the association between iron status and neurodevelopmental outcomes in healthy 2-year-olds.
  • To investigate if microcytosis (low mean corpuscular volume) is linked to cognitive function.
  • To identify a predictive ferritin threshold for microcytosis.

Main Methods:

  • Secondary analysis of a prospective birth cohort (Cork BASELINE Study).
  • Measured serum ferritin, hemoglobin (Hb), and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) at 2 years.
  • Assessed neurodevelopment using Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (n=87).

Main Results:

  • Five children had iron deficiency (ferritin <12 µg/l); none had iron deficiency anemia.
  • Children with microcytosis (MCV <74 fl) had significantly lower cognitive scores (88.5 vs 97.0, P=0.04).
  • A ferritin threshold of 18.5 µg/l predicted microcytosis and was associated with lower cognitive scores.

Conclusions:

  • Microcytosis, even in the absence of overt iron deficiency anemia, is associated with reduced cognitive outcomes in healthy toddlers.
  • Current diagnostic criteria for iron deficiency may be insufficient for identifying all at-risk children.
  • Further research with larger sample sizes is warranted to re-evaluate diagnostic criteria for iron deficiency in young children.

Keywords:
BASELINE Babies after Screening for Pregnancy Endpoints: Evaluating the Longitudinal Impact using Neurological and Nutritional EndpointsBSID Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler DevelopmentIQR interquartile rangeMCV mean corpuscular volumeBayley Scales of Infant and Toddler DevelopmentCognitionMicrocytosisNeurodevelopmentSerum ferritin

More Related Videos

Highlighting and Reducing the Impact of Negative Aging Stereotypes During Older Adults' Cognitive Testing06:58

Highlighting and Reducing the Impact of Negative Aging Stereotypes During Older Adults' Cognitive Testing

Published on: January 24, 2020

7.9K
Assessment of Age-related Changes in Cognitive Functions Using EmoCogMeter, a Novel Tablet-computer Based Approach10:13

Assessment of Age-related Changes in Cognitive Functions Using EmoCogMeter, a Novel Tablet-computer Based Approach

Published on: February 14, 2014

14.3K

Related Concept Videos

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...
641
Language and Cognition01:27

Language and Cognition

Language serves as a bridge between ideas and communication, influencing how individuals perceive and interact with the world. Psychologists have long debated whether language shapes thought or vice versa. This discussion gained grip with Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf in the 1940s, who proposed that language determines thought, a concept known as linguistic determinism. They suggested that the vocabulary and structure of a language influence how its speakers think and perceive reality.
852
Intellectual Disability01:29

Intellectual Disability

Intellectual disability (ID) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by deficits in intellectual and adaptive functioning that manifest during the developmental period. This condition encompasses challenges in reasoning, memory, problem-solving, and learning, accompanied by impairments in everyday life skills, such as communication, self-care, and social interactions. Intellectual disability affects approximately 1% of the population in the United States, impacting an estimated 5...
835
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...
1.0K
Biological Influences on Intelligence01:30

Biological Influences on Intelligence

Intelligence is often thought to be linked to brain size, but the relationship is more complex than that. While brain size does correlate modestly with some abilities, like verbal skills, the connection is weaker for others, such as spatial reasoning. Other factors, like brain structure, also play crucial roles. For instance, despite Einstein's smaller-than-average brain, his parietal cortex, which is involved in spatial reasoning, was 15% wider, suggesting that neural density might matter...
613