Behavioral effects of iron supplementation in infants in Madang, Papua New Guinea.
The effect of iron supplementation on attending behavior of 96 1-y-old infants was assessed in a double-blind, randomized, controlled trial of iron dextran in Papua New Guinea. The treatment group received an injection of iron dextran at 2 mo; the controls received a placebo injection. Because many children had malarial parasitemia at testing, presence of malaria was used in the analysis. A significant interaction was found between iron and malaria infection on total fixation time: iron-supplemented groups and placebo-treated parasitemic children showed significantly higher total fixation scores than did placebo-treated aparasitemic children. Blood analysis of iron status showed similar results, with lowest iron status evident in the placebo-treated aparasitemic group. There was no effect of treatment on rate of habituation or dishabituation. Supplemental iron treatment has a significant effect on attention but the direction of the effect depends on the presence of malaria infection.
Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Madang.
A
A
Heywood
S
S
Oppenheimer
P
P
Heywood
D
D
Jolley
D000747:Anemia, Hypochromic / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects; D001724:Birth Weight; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000032:analysis; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood; D000090463:Iron Deficiencies; D007505:Iron-Dextran Complex / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D009512:New Guinea; D014168:Transferrin / Q000032:analysis
D006454:Hemoglobins; D014168:Transferrin; D007505:Iron-Dextran Complex; D005293:Ferritins; D007501:Iron