Abstract
Anemic infants from a longitudinal study of iron nutrition who were evaluated with the Bayley Scales of Infant Development showed significantly lower scores than their iron sufficient controls at 12 mo and after therapy for complete correction of iron status. Anemia was determined by random assignment to non fortified diets (Peds.84:1-17, 1989). At 5½ years of age they were reevaluated with a general intelligence test (1), fine and gross motor abilities (2), psycho-linguistic capabilities (3), visual-motor integration (4) and an educational preschool scale (5). Maternal and environmental variables have been controlled for. Results are:
Unfavourable effect of iron deficiency anemia on development at 12 mo persists in cognition at 5½ despite timely and adequate iron therapy. Although causality cannot be proven, anemia in infancy may be a marker for disadvantaged cognition in childhood.
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Walter, T., De Andraca, I., Castillo, M. et al. 108 COGNITIVE EFFECT AT 5 YEARS OF AGE IN INFANTS WHO WERE ANEMIC AT 12 MONTHS: A LONGITUDINAL STUDY. Pediatr Res 28, 295 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199009000-00132
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199009000-00132