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Serum ferritin levels in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and tic disorder
1Department of Psychiatry, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children's Health, Beijing 100045, China.
Insights
Low serum ferritin is not a risk factor for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or tic disorder (TD) in children aged 5-12. The incidence of low ferritin in these conditions decreases and then increases with age, with age 10 as a turning point.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Neurodevelopmental Disorders
- Nutritional Neuroscience
Background:
- Iron is crucial for neurodevelopment.
- Serum ferritin levels differ between children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and tic disorder (TD) compared to healthy children.
- Investigating iron deficiency in neurodevelopmental disorders is essential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of iron deficiency in children with neurodevelopmental disorders.
- To examine the effects of age and sex on iron deficiency in these children.
- To explore the relationship between serum ferritin levels and ADHD, TD, and autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Main Methods:
- Retrospective study of 1565 children with ADHD, 1694 with TD, 93 with ASD, and 1997 controls (aged 5-12) from 2020-2021.
- Analysis of serum ferritin levels, age, and sex differences using t-tests, chi-square tests, and ANOVA.
- Regression analysis was employed for confounding factor control.
Main Results:
- Children with ADHD and TD showed similar average serum ferritin levels, with no significant sex-based differences.
- The incidence of low serum ferritin in ADHD and TD initially decreased then increased with age, peaking around age 10.
- The incidence of low serum ferritin was 8.37% in ADHD, 11.04% in TD, and 8.61% in controls; ASD had a 15.05% incidence.
Conclusions:
- Low serum ferritin is not identified as a risk factor for ADHD or TD in the studied pediatric population.
- Age-related patterns of low serum ferritin incidence in ADHD and TD children (5-12 years) show a U-shaped curve.
- Further research may elucidate the specific roles of iron in neurodevelopmental trajectories.
Background:
Iron plays an important role in neurodevelopmental functions in the brain. Serum ferritin levels are different in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and tic disorder than in healthy children.
Aim:
To explore the current status of iron deficiency in children with neurodevelopmental disorders and its sex and age effects.
Methods:
A total of 1565 children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), 1694 children with tic disorder (TD), 93 children with ASD and 1997 healthy control children were included between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2021 at Beijing Children's Hospital. We describe the differences in age levels and ferritin levels between different disease groups and their sex differences. The differences between the sexes in each disease were analyzed using the t test. The incidence rate of low serum ferritin was used to describe the differences between different diseases and different age groups. A chi-square test was used to analyze the difference in the incidence of low serum ferritin between the disease group and the control group. Analysis of variance was used for comparisons between subgroups, and regression analysis was used for confounding factor control.
Results:
A total of 1565 ADHD patients aged 5-12 years were included in this study, and the average serum ferritin levels of male and female children were 36.82 ± 20.64 μg/L and 35.64 ± 18.56 μg/L, respectively. A total of 1694 TD patients aged 5-12 years were included in this study, and the average serum ferritin levels of male and female children were 35.72 ± 20.15 μg/L and 34.54 ± 22.12 μg/L, respectively. As age increased, the incidence of low serum ferritin in ADHD and TD first decreased and then increased, and 10 years old was the turning point of rising levels. The incidence of ADHD with low serum ferritin was 8.37%, the incidence of TD with low serum ferritin was 11.04%, and the incidence of the healthy control group with low serum ferritin was 8.61%, among which male children with TD accounted for 9.25% and female children with TD accounted for 11.62%. There was a significant difference among the three groups (P < 0.05). In addition, there were 93 children with ASD with an average serum ferritin level of 30.99 ± 18.11 μg/L and a serum ferritin incidence of 15.05%.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, low serum ferritin is not a risk factor for ADHD or TD. The incidence of low serum ferritin levels in children with ADHD and TD between 5 and 12 years old decreases first and then increases with age.
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