{"title":"Neurodevelopmental Impairments as Long-term Effects of Iron Deficiency in Early Childhood: A Systematic Review.","authors":"Jason Theola, Murti Andriastuti","doi":"10.4274/balkanmedj.galenos.2025.2024-11-24","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Anemia within the first 1,000 days of life is primarily attributed to iron deficiency (ID). This period is critical as infants and young children have the highest iron demands. Failure to meet these increased needs exposes children to ID, which has been linked to persistent developmental challenges. Numerous studies have reported neurodevelopmental disorders in children with a history of early-life ID, though findings vary.</p><p><strong>Aims: </strong>This systematic review aimed to evaluate the long-term impact of early childhood ID on neurodevelopmental outcomes.</p><p><strong>Study design: </strong>Systematic review.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A literature search was conducted across five electronic databases (PubMed, Cochrane, Scopus, Sage, and Embase) using the keywords \"iron deficiency anemia\" and \"infant.\" The JBI critical appraisal tool for cohort studies was used to evaluate study quality.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Seventeen relevant cohort studies were identified through the systematic search. Of these, 14 were rated as high quality, while 3 were classified as moderate quality. The neurodevelopmental domains assessed included cognitive deficits (seven studies), motor deficits (four studies), verbal deficits (seven studies), behavioral deficits (nine studies), auditory function (one study), and neuroendocrine function (two studies).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Early-life ID disrupts neurodevelopment, leading to persistent cognitive, motor, behavioral, and neuroendocrine impairments. Children with a history of early childhood ID demonstrate poorer cognitive, motor, and behavioral outcomes compared with their non-ID counterparts. Preventing ID within the first 1,000 days of life is essential to mitigate irreversible deficits in motor, cognitive, and behavioral functions.</p>","PeriodicalId":8690,"journal":{"name":"Balkan Medical Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9000,"publicationDate":"2025-01-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Balkan Medical Journal","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.4274/balkanmedj.galenos.2025.2024-11-24","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"MEDICINE, GENERAL & INTERNAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
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Abstract
Background: Anemia within the first 1,000 days of life is primarily attributed to iron deficiency (ID). This period is critical as infants and young children have the highest iron demands. Failure to meet these increased needs exposes children to ID, which has been linked to persistent developmental challenges. Numerous studies have reported neurodevelopmental disorders in children with a history of early-life ID, though findings vary.
Aims: This systematic review aimed to evaluate the long-term impact of early childhood ID on neurodevelopmental outcomes.
Study design: Systematic review.
Methods: A literature search was conducted across five electronic databases (PubMed, Cochrane, Scopus, Sage, and Embase) using the keywords "iron deficiency anemia" and "infant." The JBI critical appraisal tool for cohort studies was used to evaluate study quality.
Results: Seventeen relevant cohort studies were identified through the systematic search. Of these, 14 were rated as high quality, while 3 were classified as moderate quality. The neurodevelopmental domains assessed included cognitive deficits (seven studies), motor deficits (four studies), verbal deficits (seven studies), behavioral deficits (nine studies), auditory function (one study), and neuroendocrine function (two studies).
Conclusion: Early-life ID disrupts neurodevelopment, leading to persistent cognitive, motor, behavioral, and neuroendocrine impairments. Children with a history of early childhood ID demonstrate poorer cognitive, motor, and behavioral outcomes compared with their non-ID counterparts. Preventing ID within the first 1,000 days of life is essential to mitigate irreversible deficits in motor, cognitive, and behavioral functions.
期刊介绍：
The Balkan Medical Journal (Balkan Med J) is a peer-reviewed open-access international journal that publishes interesting clinical and experimental research conducted in all fields of medicine, interesting case reports and clinical images, invited reviews, editorials, letters, comments and letters to the Editor including reports on publication and research ethics. The journal is the official scientific publication of the Trakya University Faculty of Medicine, Edirne, Turkey and is printed six times a year, in January, March, May, July, September and November. The language of the journal is English.
The journal is based on independent and unbiased double-blinded peer-reviewed principles. Only unpublished papers that are not under review for publication elsewhere can be submitted. Balkan Medical Journal does not accept multiple submission and duplicate submission even though the previous one was published in a different language. The authors are responsible for the scientific content of the material to be published. The Balkan Medical Journal reserves the right to request any research materials on which the paper is based.
The Balkan Medical Journal encourages and enables academicians, researchers, specialists and primary care physicians of Balkan countries to publish their valuable research in all branches of medicine. The primary aim of the journal is to publish original articles with high scientific and ethical quality and serve as a good example of medical publications in the Balkans as well as in the World.
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