Abstract
Iron is an essential micronutrient that is involved in many functions in humans, as it plays a critical role in the growth and development of the central nervous system, among others. Premature and low birth weight infants have higher iron requirements due to increased postnatal growth compared to that of term infants and are, therefore, susceptible to a higher risk of developing iron deficiency or iron deficiency anemia. Notwithstanding, excess iron could affect organ development during the postnatal period, particularly in premature infants that have an immature and undeveloped antioxidant system. It is important, therefore, to perform a review and analyze the effects of iron status on the growth of premature infants. This is a transversal descriptive study of retrieved reports in the scientific literature by a systematic technique. PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines were adapted for the review strategy. The inclusion criteria for the studies were made using the PICO (population, intervention, comparison, outcome) model. Consequently, the systematic reviews that included studies published between 2008–2018 were evaluated based on the impact of iron status on parameters of growth and development in preterm infants.
Highlights
Iron is involved in many key cellular functions and processes in humans due to its role as an essential micronutrient
Iron requirements are high during the periods of rapid growth and differentiation and imbalance in iron homeostasis could result in alterations of cognitive functions and neurodevelopment [3]
Preterm infants are prone to develop iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in the first 4 months of life due to lower iron stores at birth compared with term infants, rapid growth and iron losses
Summary
Iron is involved in many key cellular functions and processes in humans due to its role as an essential micronutrient. This ubiquitous mineral plays a critical role in growth and the development of the central nervous system. It is essential for energy metabolism, cell differentiation, and a host range of physiological processes for the normal functioning of the brain [1]. Most fetal iron is transferred from the mother during the third trimester of gestation This transfer is interrupted by preterm birth, resulting in iron stores at birth being proportional to birth weight. Despite low iron stores at birth, growth velocity of premature infants is maximal at a postmenstrual age of 28–38 weeks, Nutrients 2019, 11, 1090; doi:10.3390/nu11051090 www.mdpi.com/journal/nutrients
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