Iron Supplementation in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Single Centre Study

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Neurology
• Nutritional Psychiatry

Background:

• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disease (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder in children.
• Iron deficiency, indicated by low serum ferritin, is prevalent and may be linked to ADHD symptom severity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of oral iron supplementation on ADHD symptoms in children.
• To determine if iron therapy affects measures of inattention and hyperactivity.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, single-arm study involving 32 children (4-12 years) newly diagnosed with ADHD.
• Baseline assessment included hemogram, serum ferritin, neuropsychometric tests, and objective attention tests.
• Children received six weeks of oral iron therapy, followed by repeat assessments.

Main Results:

• 23 out of 32 participants had sufficient ferritin levels at baseline.
• Significant improvement was observed in the inattention and hyperactivity subscales of the Conner's Rating Scale (P=0.036).
• Children's Color Trails Test scores showed significant improvement in attention (P=0.006) after iron therapy.

Conclusions:

• Iron supplementation demonstrated promising effects on reducing ADHD symptoms in children.
• Further research is warranted to confirm these findings and explore the role of iron in ADHD management.