REVIEW ER 'S CONCLUSIONS There is no convincing evidence that iron treatment of young children with IDA has an effect on psychomotor development discernable within 5 - 11 days .
The effect of longer term treatment remains unclear but the data would be compatible with clinical ly significant benefit .
BACKGROUND Iron deficiency and iron deficiency anaemia ( IDA ) are common in young children .
It has been suggested that the lack of iron may have important effects on children 's psychomotor development and cognitive function .
OBJECTIVES To determine the effects of iron therapy on psychomotor development and cognitive function in iron deficient children less than 3 years of age .
Iron-deficiency anemia and infant development: effects of extended oral iron therapy.
OBJECTIVE To determine whether extended oral iron therapy corrects lower developmental test scores in infants with iron-deficiency anemia . STUDY DESIGN Double-blind , controlled trial in Costa Rica involving 32 12- to 23-month-old infants with iron-deficiency anemia and 54 nonanemic control subjects . Anemic infants were treated with orally administered iron for 6 months ; half the nonanemic children were treated with iron and half with placebo .  Developmental test scores and hematologic status were evaluated before treatment , after 3 months , and after 6 months . RESULTS Iron-deficient anemic infants received lower mental test scores than nonanemic infants at all three time points ( p < 0.05 pretreatment and at 3 months , p = 0.07 at 6 months ) . There were no significant differences in motor test scores . More of the anemic infants were rated as unusually tearful and unhappy . Anemic infants came from families with lower maternal education and less support for child development and were less likely to be breast fed , were weaned earlier , and consumed more cow milk . CONCLUSIONS Lower mental test scores persisted in infants with iron-deficiency anemia despite extended oral iron therapy and an excellent hematologic response . Iron-deficiency anemia may serve as a marker for a variety of nutritional and family disadvantages that may adversely affect infant development
REVIEW ER 'S CONCLUSIONS There is no convincing evidence that iron treatment of young children with IDA has an effect on psychomotor development discernable within 5 - 11 days .
The effect of longer term treatment remains unclear but the data would be compatible with clinical ly significant benefit .
BACKGROUND Iron deficiency and iron deficiency anaemia ( IDA ) are common in young children .
It has been suggested that the lack of iron may have important effects on children 's psychomotor development and cognitive function .
OBJECTIVES To determine the effects of iron therapy on psychomotor development and cognitive function in iron deficient children less than 3 years of age .