Iron‐deficiency anemia in infancy and poorer cognitive inhibitory control at age 10 years

Abstract

Aim The aim of this study was to assess the effects of iron-deficiency anemia (IDA) in infancy on executive functioning at age 10 years, specifically inhibitory control on the Go/No-Go task. We predicted that children who had IDA in infancy would show poorer inhibitory control. Method We assessed cognitive inhibitory control in 132 Chilean children (mean [SD] age 10y 0mo [1mo]): 69 children had IDA in infancy (45 males, 24 females) and 63 comparison children who did not have IDA (26 males, 37 females). Participants performed the Go/No-Go task with event-related potentials. Group differences in behavioral (accuracy, reaction time) and electrophysiological outcomes (N2 and P300 components) were analyzed using repeated-measures analyses of variance. N2 and P300 are interpreted to reflect attention and resource allocation respectively. Results Relative to comparison participants, children who had IDA in infancy showed slower reaction time (mean [SE], 528.7ms [14.2] vs 485.0ms [15.0], 95% confidence interval [CI] for difference between groups 0.9–86.5); lower accuracy (95.4% [0.5] vs 96.9% [0.6], 95% CI −3.0 to −0.1); longer latency to N2 peak (378.9ms [4.9] vs 356.9ms [5.0], 95% CI 7.5–36.6); and smaller P300 amplitude (4.5μV [0.8] vs 7.6μV [0.9], 95% CI–5.5 to −0.5). Interpretation IDA in infancy was associated with slower reaction times and poorer inhibitory control 8 to 9 years after iron therapy. These findings are consistent with the long-lasting effects of early IDA on myelination and/or prefrontal–striatal circuits where dopamine is the major neurotransmitter.

Efecto de la anemia en el desarrollo infantil: consecuencias a largo plazo

“…En niños que tuvieron anemia en el primer año de vida (a los 6, 12 y 18 meses), y que luego fue corregida mediante suplementación, se encontró que a los 10 años de seguimiento, tuvieron tiempos de reacción más lentos y menor capacidad para controlar respuestas impulsivas, lo que se le denomina como pobre control inhibitorio (25) . Esta dificultad es uno de los déficits conductuales que se relaciona con trastornos como déficit de atención e hiperactividad, entre otros (26) .…”

Using fNIRS to Study Working Memory of Infants in Rural Africa

“…One of the most reported deficits attributed to poor nutrition in infancy is suboptimal memory functioning and deficiencies in executive functions [9,10]. By using fNIRS to directly map the cortical correlates of working memory in infants, we aimed to find a measure of cognitive development that would be less amenable to culture and that could be used to shed light on potential delays resulting from poor nutrition before these become apparent in behavior.…”

Effect of Iron-Deficiency on Cognitive Skills and Neuromaturation in Infancy and Childhood

“…These cells are responsible for the synthesis of fatty acids and cholesterol for myelin. Levels of monoamines are sensitive to changes in brain iron status, but these mechanisms are not yet clear 18 . Beard 19 has wishes in a review about the nerve function of iron by refined techniques of behavioral and cognitive measures will tell us more in the next five years on sensitive to iron deficiency periods in infant development.…”