846 EFFECT OF IRON DEFICIENCY WITHOUT ANEMIA ON INFANT BEHAVIOR

Abstract

We have reported that treatment of infants with iron deficiency anemia produces a prompt increase in infant performance as measured by the Bayley scores of mental development (MDI). The present study was designed to determine if iron deficiency in the absence of anemia (Hb ≥11.0 g/dl) was also associated with behavioral alterations. Infants, 9-13 months of age, were classified based on hemoglobin, serum ferritin, erythrocyte protoporphyrin (FEP) and red cell size (MCV) as follows:Subjects were administered the Bayley MDI, treated with intramuscular iron, and then retested exactly one week later. All tests were administered by the same psychologist without knowledge of the infant's iron status. The mean increase in score in the test-retest for the 10 normals was 7.2; for those with iron depletion (8) it was 3.7 while the 15 infants with iron deficiency had a mean increase of 21 points (p <0.005). This study demonstrates that iron deficiency with biochemical (FEP) or cellular alterations (MCV) produces alterations in behavior that are independent of anemia and are rapidly reversible with iron therapy.