Long-term neuroendocrine effects of iron-deficiency anemia in infancy

Abstract

Iron-deficiency anemia (IDA) is recognized to have long-lasting effects on neurodevelopment, but there is little research on neuroendocrine systems. This study examined the effects of IDA in early or later infancy on plasma cortisol and prolactin stress-response patterns for 1 h after a venipuncture and catheter placement in 10-y-old healthy Chilean children. Children identified with IDA at 6 mo (IDA-6; n = 13) or 12 mo (IDA-12; n = 24) and who were iron sufficient (IS) at other infancy time points were compared to children who were IS at all time points during infancy (n = 23). All children received at least 6 mo of oral iron treatment in infancy. At 10 y of age, IDA-6 and IDA-12 children demonstrated altered cortisol response patterns; both showed a more immediate decline and IDA-12 children showed a blunted curvature as compared to IS children. IDA-12 children showed significantly lower cortisol levels at 30 and 45 min after venipuncture and catheter placement than did IS children. There were no significant differences for stress-responsive plasma prolactin patterns between groups. The results indicate that having IDA during infancy is associated with long-term neuroendocrine effects on stress-responsive cortisol patterns.