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Maternal iron status during pregnancy and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms in 7-year-old children: a

Andrés Díaz-López1,2, Josefa Canals-Sans1,2,3, Jordi Julvez2,4

  • 1Nutrition and Mental Health Research Group (NUTRISAM), Rovira I Virgili University (URV), C/ Sant Llorenç 21, 43201, Reus, Tarragona, Spain.

Scientific Reports
|December 1, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Maternal iron levels during pregnancy, specifically serum ferritin (SF) and haemoglobin (Hb), were not linked to attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in children at age seven. This study found no significant association after adjustments, suggesting iron status in pregnancy does not predict childhood ADHD risk.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Epidemiology
  • Neurodevelopmental Disorders
  • Maternal Health

Background:

  • Childhood attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder.
  • Existing evidence on the link between maternal iron status during pregnancy and ADHD risk in offspring is limited and inconsistent.
  • Further research is needed to clarify the potential impact of maternal iron biomarkers on ADHD development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between maternal serum ferritin (SF) and haemoglobin (Hb) levels in pregnancy and the risk of ADHD symptoms in 7-year-old children.
  • To analyze the influence of maternal iron status on specific ADHD-related behaviors, including inattention and cognitive problems.
  • To assess whether early pregnancy iron status predicts later ADHD symptomatology.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective cohort study involving 1204 mother-child pairs from the Spanish INMA project.
  • Maternal serum ferritin (SF) and haemoglobin (Hb) levels were measured during pregnancy.
  • Children's ADHD behaviors were assessed at age 7 using Conners' Parent Rating Scale-Revised Short Form (CPRS-R:S), with parental reports.
  • Unadjusted and multivariate regression analyses were performed, with adjustments for potential confounders.

Main Results:

  • Unadjusted analyses showed a positive association between maternal SF and children's T-scores for cognitive problems/inattention and the ADHD index.
  • These associations disappeared after multivariate adjustment and stratification by trimester.
  • Maternal Hb levels were not associated with any ADHD-related subscales in either unadjusted or adjusted models.
  • No significant association was found between maternal SF or Hb levels and the risk of ADHD symptomatology (T-score ≥ 65).

Conclusions:

  • Maternal serum ferritin and haemoglobin levels during pregnancy are not associated with ADHD symptoms in 7-year-old children.
  • The initial observed associations between maternal SF and ADHD symptoms were likely due to confounding factors.
  • This study suggests that maternal iron status in pregnancy, as measured by SF and Hb, does not appear to be a significant predictor of childhood ADHD risk.

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