Association Between Iron Deficiency in Childhood and Neuro-Developmental Disorders in Japan: A Cross-Sectional Study
Zen Kakiuchi, Mitsuko Itoh, Satoshi Miyata and Mio Kato
A growing number of studies point to an association between nutrition and neurodevelopment.
We aimed to see the association between minerals and vitamins in blood test results and
neurodevelopment, specifically between iron levels and children with developmental
concerns. The samples of this study are 184 children from ages 2 to 15 who visited a clinic
in Tokyo during the three years from 2017 to 2020. A total of 184 patients were registered,
of which 96 were diagnosed with developmental disorders (35 female, 61 male) with a mean
age of 8.2 ± 3.84 years. There were 88 typically developed children (35 female, 53 male) with
a mean age of 8.5 ± 3.77 years. Blood test results of these children were analyzed to assess
the association between ferritin, zinc, 25 hydroxyvitamin D, total protein, and the children’s
neurodevelopmental status. Ferritin was significantly lower in children diagnosed as having
neurodevelopmental disorders. As iron and other nutrients are crucial in neurodevelopment,
attention to these nutrients should be drawn by reviewing the food intake of infants, toddlers
and pregnant women and women of childbearing age. More attention on blood test results
may be considered to intervene wherever and whenever possible.
