The Role of Iron in Brain Development: A Systematic Review

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#adult #anemia-iron-deficiency #brain #child-preschool #dietary-supplements

The Role of Iron in Brain Development: A Systematic Review

McCann et al., 2020 | Nutrients | Systematic Review

Citation

McCann Samantha, Perapoch Amadó Marta, Moore Sophie E. The Role of Iron in Brain Development: A Systematic Review. Nutrients. 2020-Jul-05;12(7). doi:10.3390/nu12072001

Abstract

One-third of children falter in cognitive development by pre-school age. Iron plays an important role in many neurodevelopmental processes, and animal studies suggest that iron sufficiency in pregnancy and infancy is particularly important for neurodevelopment. However, it is not clear whether iron deficiency directly impacts developmental outcomes, and, if so, whether impact differs by timing of exposure or developmental domain. We searched four databases for studies on iron deficiency or iron supplementation in pregnancy, or at 0-6 months, 6-24 months, or 2-4 years of age. All studies included neurodevelopmental assessments in infants or children up to 4 years old. We then qualitatively synthesized the literature. There was no clear relationship between iron status and developmental outcomes across any of the time windows or domains included. We identified a large quantity of low-quality studies, significant heterogeneity in study design and a lack of research focused on pregnancy and early infancy. In summary, despite good mechanistic evidence for the role of iron in brain development, evidence for the impact of iron deficiency or iron supplementation on early development is inconsistent. Further high-quality research is needed, particularly within pregnancy and early infancy, which has previously been neglected.

Key Findings

Further high-quality research is needed, particularly within pregnancy and early infancy, which has previously been neglected.

Outcomes Measured

  • Requires manual extraction

Population

Field Value
Population See abstract
Sample Size See abstract
Age Range 2-4 years
Condition cognitive

MeSH Terms

  • Adult
  • Anemia, Iron-Deficiency
  • Brain
  • Child, Preschool
  • Dietary Supplements
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Iron
  • Iron Deficiencies
  • Iron, Dietary
  • Male
  • Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena
  • Neurodevelopmental Disorders
  • Nutritional Status
  • Pregnancy
  • Prenatal Care

Evidence Classification

  • Level: Systematic Review
  • Publication Types: Journal Article, Systematic Review
  • Vertical: iron-cognition

Provenance

Source extracted via PubMed E-utilities API on 2026-04-09