Iron status at 1 and 6 years versus developmental scores at 6 years in a well-nourished affluent population.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the association between iron status at 1 and 6 years with development at 6 years.


METHODS
In a longitudinal study of children (n = 77), iron status was measured at 1 and 6 years and the Icelandic Developmental Inventory, which evaluates children's motor and verbal development, was filled in by mothers near the children's sixth birthday.


RESULTS
Children, iron-deficient at 1 year (n = 10), had lower fine motor development scores at 6 years than non-iron-deficient (n = 56) (46.7 +/- 4.1 vs. 49.3 +/- 2.0; p = 0.011). Fine motor scores were also lower in children with depleted iron stores at 1 year (n = 26) than non-iron-depleted children (n = 40) (48.0 +/- 3.3 vs. 49.5 +/- 1.8; p = 0.045). Multiple regression analyses, with iron status indices at 6 years, showed that mean corpuscular volume along with male gender predicted significantly positively for expression (adj. R(2)= 0.15; p = 0.018; n = 73), while regression analyses, including iron status at 1 and 6 years, showed that haemoglobin at 6 years was positively associated with gross motor (adj. R(2)= 0.05; p = 0.038; n = 63).


CONCLUSIONS
In an affluent society, iron deficiency and depleted iron stores at 1 year may contribute to worse fine motor developmental scores at 6 years, while low mean corpuscular volume and haemoglobin at 6 years might affect subsequent expression and gross motor scores negatively.
Gunnarsson
B S
BS
Unit for Nutrition Research, Landspitali University Hospital & Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Iceland, IS-101, Reykjavik, Iceland. bsg@hi.is
Thorsdottir
I
I
Palsson
G
G
Gretarsson
S J
SJ
D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D004909:Erythrocyte Indices; D005260:Female; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D000090463:Iron Deficiencies; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000502:physiology*; D009752:Nutritional Status; D012044:Regression Analysis
D006454:Hemoglobins