title: Effects of iron supplementation on auditory brainstem response in marginally LBW infants.
abstract: LBW infants are at risk of iron deficiency (ID), which is associated with impaired nervous system development and may lead to prolonged auditory brainstem response (ABR) latencies. We hypothesized that iron supplementation shortens ABR latencies in marginally LBW (MLBW, 2000-2500 g) infants. In a randomized, controlled trial, 285 healthy MLBW infants received 0, 1, or 2 mg iron/kg/d of iron supplements from 6 wk to 6 mo of age. ABR absolute wave V latencies and central conduction time (CCT) were measured at the endpoint. There were no significant differences between groups in ABR wave V latencies (n = 218). Furthermore, there were no significantly prolonged ABR latencies in infants with ID (n = 32). CCT was significantly higher in the 2 mg group than in the placebo group (n = 126). However, there were no significant correlations between CCT and iron intake or any iron status variable, suggesting that differences in CCT were not caused by iron. We conclude that iron supplements did not improve ABR latencies, and iron-deficient MLBW infants did not have impaired ABR latencies at 6 mo, suggesting that ABR is not a sensitive measure of impaired neurological development or that mild/moderate ID causes no such impairment in MLBW infants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, Pediatrics, Umeå University, SE-901 85 Umeå, Sweden. staffan.berglund@pediatri.umu.se
authors.forename: Staffan K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Berglund
authors.forename: Björn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Westrup
authors.forename: Elisabet
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Haraldsson
authors.forename: Berit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Engström
authors.forename: Magnus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Domellöf
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000188:drug therapy*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight / Q000378:metabolism*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D019266:Iron, Dietary / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D019266:Iron, Dietary