Overall , the studies suggest a modest positive effect of iron supplementation on cognition and psychomotor outcomes in anemic infants and children after supplementation periods of at least 2 months of duration
A systematic review was conducted to summarize the evidence currently available from r and omized controlled trials ( RCTs ) concerning the effect of iron intake of infants , children and adolescents on measures of cognitive development and function .
Effect of iron supplementation on cognition in Greek preschoolers
Objective : To examine effects of iron supplementation on vigilance , attention and conceptual learning in preschool children in Greece . Design : R and omized Double-Blind Placebo Controlled trial of iron . R and omization stratified by iron status and day care center ( DCC ) . Setting : Nine public DCCs in Athens , Greece . Subjects : In all , 49 3–4-y olds ( 21 anemic , 28 good iron status ) with birth weight not less than 2500 g , currently healthy ; benign past medical history , IQ ≥1 s.d . below the age-adjusted mean , serum Pb ≤200 ppb ( none exceeded 50 ppb ) , and height , weight and head circumference for age ≥10th percentile  . Anemia defined as : ( 1 ) pretreatment Hgb < 112 g/l and TS < 16 % and ferritin < 12 μg/L OR ( 2 ) Hgb rise of > 10 g/l ( T2–T0 ) with iron supplementation . Good iron status was defined as baseline levels of Hgb > 120 g/l and either TS > 20 % or serum ferritin > 12 μg/l . Intervention : The intervention consisted of a 2–month supplementation of 15 mg iron ( and MV ) vs placebo ( MV alone ) . Results : After iron treatment , the anemic subjects made significantly fewer errors of commission ( 14 % higher specificity , P<0.05 ) , exhibited 8 % higher accuracy ( P<0.05 ) and were significantly more efficient ( mean difference=1.09 , P<0.05 ) than those given placebo . These effects of iron were not found among preschoolers with good iron status . No effects of iron treatment were found on the Oddity Learning task . Conclusions : This study demonstrated that iron supplementation of iron-deficient anemic preschoolers results in an improvement in discrimination , specifically selective attention . Sponsorship : University of California , Davis and Nutricia Corporation
Overall , the studies suggest a modest positive effect of iron supplementation on cognition and psychomotor outcomes in anemic infants and children after supplementation periods of at least 2 months of duration
A systematic review was conducted to summarize the evidence currently available from r and omized controlled trials ( RCTs ) concerning the effect of iron intake of infants , children and adolescents on measures of cognitive development and function .