Young children and women of reproductive
age, especially during pregnancy,
have increased iron requirements,
placing them at increased risk of
deficiency and related adverse consequences.
1 Iron is essential for neurotransmission,
energy metabolism,
and myelination in the developing
brain.2 In humans, the brain growth
spurt begins in the last trimester of
pregnancy and extends through the
first 2 years of life.3 Numerous studies
showed lower cognitive and motor test
scores in infants with iron deficiency
anemia (IDA) that persist being low
even though they received iron treatment
as infants.2 There is direct evidence
of biochemical abnormalities in
brains of iron-deficient infants, which
demonstrated a slowed nerve conduction
velocity in iron-deficient infants at
6 months of age.