There is no convincing evidence that iron treatment of young children with IDA has an effect on psychomotor development or cognitive function within 30 days after commencement of therapy .
The effect of longer-term treatment remains unclear .
BACKGROUND Iron deficiency and iron deficiency anaemia ( IDA ) are common in young children .
It has been suggested that the lack of iron may have deleterious effects on children 's psychomotor development and cognitive function .
To evaluate the benefits of iron therapy on psychomotor development and cognitive function in children with IDA , a Cochrane review was carried out in 2001 .
This is an up date of that review .
OBJECTIVES To determine the effects of iron therapy on psychomotor development and cognitive function in iron deficient anaemic children less than three years of age .
Infancy: mental and motor development.
In a prospect i ve cohort study of 196 infants from birth to age 15 mo , the relationship of iron status to psychomotor development , the effect of a short-term trial of oral iron or placebo , and the effect of longer-term oral iron therapy was assessed . Development was assessed with the Bayley Scale of Infant Development in anemic , nonanemic , iron-deficient , and control children . Anemic infants had significantly lower indices than did control or nonanemic , iron-deficient infants . Control infants and nonanemic , iron-deficient infants performed comparably . No difference between the effect of oral administration of iron or placebo was noted after 10 d or 3 mo of iron therapy . A hemoglobin concentration of less than 105 g/L and anemia duration greater than 3 mo were correlated with significantly lower motor and mental scores , suggesting that when iron deficiency progresses to anemia , adverse influences in the performance of developmental tests appear and persist , despite iron therapy
There is no convincing evidence that iron treatment of young children with IDA has an effect on psychomotor development or cognitive function within 30 days after commencement of therapy .
The effect of longer-term treatment remains unclear .
BACKGROUND Iron deficiency and iron deficiency anaemia ( IDA ) are common in young children .
It has been suggested that the lack of iron may have deleterious effects on children 's psychomotor development and cognitive function .
To evaluate the benefits of iron therapy on psychomotor development and cognitive function in children with IDA , a Cochrane review was carried out in 2001 .
This is an up date of that review .
OBJECTIVES To determine the effects of iron therapy on psychomotor development and cognitive function in iron deficient anaemic children less than three years of age .