Iron supplementation for improving psychomotor development and cognitive function in infants under the age of one

Effects of iron supplementation in nonanemic pregnant women, infants, and young children on the mental performance and psychomotor development of children: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials

“…Possible explanations have been extensively discussed in earlier studies and reviews. In brief, it has been postulated that a lack of iron during critical periods of brain development may lead to abnormalities in the metabolism of neurotransmitters, decreased myelination, and alterations in energy metabolism of the brain, and consequently, to alterations in psychomotor development and cognition (2,5,23).…”

“…The limitations of this review include wide variations among included trials and a lack of specified inclusion criteria for the participants. Martins et al (5) published a protocol in the Cochrane Review that aimed to assess the effects of iron sup-plementation provided to infants beginning before 1 y of age on measures of psychomotor development or cognitive function. Unfortunately, a full review was not published until the date of preparation of this manuscript.…”