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Hair trace elements and mental retardation among children
1Department of Chemistry, University of Oriente Cumaná, Venezuela.
Insights
Children with mental retardation have lower iron, copper, and magnesium levels in their hair, along with higher calcium levels, compared to healthy children. These trace element differences may offer insights into the causes of intellectual disability.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Medicine
- Neuroscience
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Trace elements play crucial roles in neurological development and function.
- Imbalances in essential minerals have been implicated in various developmental disorders.
- Scalp hair serves as a valuable biomarker for assessing long-term exposure to elements.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between scalp hair trace element levels and mental retardation in children.
- To compare the concentrations of calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, and copper in children with and without mental retardation.
Main Methods:
- A comparative study involving 40 children diagnosed with mental retardation and 37 healthy controls.
- Hair samples were collected from children aged 4 to 14 years.
- Atomic absorption spectrophotometry or similar techniques were used to quantify mineral content.
Main Results:
- Significantly lower levels of iron, copper, and magnesium were observed in the hair of children with mental retardation (p < .001).
- Significantly higher levels of calcium were found in the hair of children with mental retardation (p < .001).
- No significant difference in zinc content was detected between the two groups.
Conclusions:
- Scalp hair mineral analysis reveals distinct differences in trace element profiles between children with and without mental retardation.
- The observed alterations in iron, copper, magnesium, and calcium warrant further investigation into their potential role in the etiology of mental retardation.
- Hair trace element levels may serve as potential biomarkers for identifying children at risk or understanding the pathophysiology of intellectual disability.
Abstract:
The calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, and copper content found in scalp hair of 40 children with mental retardation were compared with 37 healthy normal children who were between the ages of 4 and 14 yr. The hair of children with mental retardation showed significantly lower levels of iron, copper, and magnesium (p less than .001) and higher levels of calcium (p less than .001). The zinc content did not differ between the two groups. The differences in levels of hair trace elements between normal children and those with mental retardation could be of particular interest in the investigation of the cause of mental retardation among children.