Abstract
Background: Micronutrient supplementation is often prescribed during pregnancy. The effects of prenatal iron and multimicronutrient supplementation on intellectual development in young school-aged children are less than clear.Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the long-term effects of prenatal iron plus folic acid or multiple micronutrient (including iron and folic acid) supplementation vs. folic acid supplementation on the intellectual development of young school-aged children in rural China.Methods: Young school-aged children (aged 7−10 y,n = 1744) of women who had participated in a trial of prenatal supplementation with various combinations of micronutrients and remained residents in 2 rural counties in China were followed. We measured their intellectual development by Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children Fourth Edition (WISC-IV). The WISC-IV generated the Full-Scale Intelligence Quotient (FSIQ), Verbal Comprehension Index (VCI), Working Memory Index (WMI), Perceptual Reasoning Index (PRI), and Processing Speed Index (PSI). Multilevel analyses were used to assess the effect of prenatal micronutrient supplementation on the intellectual development of children.Results: The mean differences in FSIQ, VCI, WMI, PRI, and PSI, respectively, were not significant between prenatal folic acid supplementation and either iron plus folic acid [−0.34 (P = 0.65), −0.06 (P = 0.95), −0.22 (P = 0.76), −0.01 (P = 0.99), and −1.26 (P = 0.11)] or multimicronutrient [−0.39 (P = 0.60), −0.64 (P = 0.48), 0.11 (P = 0.87), −0.43 (P = 0.59), and −0.34; (P = 0.65)] supplementation after adjusting for confounders.Conclusions: There is no evidence to suggest a different effect on intellectual development between prenatal iron plus folic acid, multimicronutrient supplementation, and prenatal folic acid supplementation in children aged 7−10 y. This trial was registered at www.isrctn.com as ISRCTN08850194.
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