Iron status and neurobehavioral development of premature infants.
OBJECTIVE
This study was conducted to examine the relation between iron status and neurobehavioral development in premature infants.


METHODS
Infants born before 34 weeks postmenstrual age and who were medically stable were studied. Anemia was defined as hemoglobin < or =10 g/Dl and low iron stores as a serum ferritin concentration < or =75 microg/l. The infants were classified as anemic with low ferritin (Group 1; n=18), anemic with normal ferritin (Group 2; n=14), and nonanemic with normal ferritin (Group 3; n=21). A total of 18 reflexes were behaviorally evaluated at 37 weeks postmenstrual age and "reflex scores" were compared between the groups. Higher scores reflect a greater percentage of abnormal reflexes.


RESULTS
Infants in group 1 (anemia/low ferritin) had a significantly higher reflex score (51.45+/-18.32%) than infants in Group 3 (38.32+/-17.75%). Group 2 had an intermediate score (45.40+/-21.70%), but not different from the other two groups.


CONCLUSIONS
These data indicate that low iron status, both measured by anemia and ferritin levels, is related to poorer neurobehavioral status in premature infants.
Department of Pediatrics, Shaare-Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
Rinat
R
Armony-Sivan
Arthur I
AI
Eidelman
Amos
A
Lanir
Devora
D
Sredni
Shlomo
S
Yehuda
D001724:Birth Weight; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D005865:Gestational Age; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D018730:Infant Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D012018:Reflex / Q000502:physiology*
D006454:Hemoglobins; D005293:Ferritins