Relation of neonatal iron status to individual variability in neonatal temperament

Abstract

The relation between indices of neonatal iron status and individual differences in neonatal temperament were investigated in a sample of 148 low-income Peruvian women and their newborn infants. Using cord blood, at birth we obtained measures of neonatal ferritin, serum iron, and hemoglobin. While neonates were still in the hospital, their behavior during a structured anthropometry examination was videotaped and subsequently coded on four temperament dimensions: activity level, negative emotionality, alertness, and soothability. The same dimensions were coded using a videotape obtained during a subsequent visit to the neonates' homes. Results indicated that lower levels of neonatal hemoglobin and serum iron were related to higher levels of negative emotionality and to lower levels of alertness and soothability. A similar pattern was found for ferritin, but only for females. For the most part, relations between neonatal iron measures and neonatal temperament were linear, operating across the full range of iron values. Our pattern of iron-temperament results could not be attributed to variation in family demographics, low birth weight, gestational age, maternal dietary intake, or markers of neonatal illness and maternal diabetes. Our findings are consistent with prior research with older infants relating iron deficiency to temperament. These results support the importance of increased research on the early functional-behavioral consequences of individual differences in iron status as well as on the mechanisms that underlie such consequences.

Growth and visual information processing in infants in Southern Ethiopia

“…While the current study does not address the direct impact of individual components of infants' diet or the diets of their breastfeeding mothers on VIP, studies have found look duration to differentiate infants with varying concentrations of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; Colombo, Kannass et al, 2004;Werkman & Carlson, 1996). Additionally, associations between general cognitive development and energy, protein and fat intake (Wachs et al, 1993), iron and infant temperament (Wachs, Pollitt, Cueto, Jacoby, & Creed-Kanashiro, 2005), and zinc and preschool verbal scores (Hubbs-Tait, Kennedy, Droke, Belanger, & Parker, 2007) suggest that dietary constituents other than energy may affect VIP.…”

Behavioral consequences of developmental iron deficiency in infant rhesus monkeys

“…Another study [66] correlated temperament scores (standardized 8 item, 4 to 6 point scale) of neonates (first week of life) observed at home and in the laboratory before discharge from the hospital to cord blood hemoglobin, serum iron and ferritin. They found a situation dependent (home, laboratory) pattern of results and concluded that low hemoglobin and iron were associated with "higher levels of emotionality and lower levels of alertness and soothability.…”

Temperament theory and the study of cognition–emotion interactions across development

“…Distinct temperament profiles including heightened levels of negative affect, increased inhibition and lower levels of attention have been linked to impaired iron status assessed during the prenatal period (Vaughn, Brown, & Carter, 1986), at birth (Tamura et al, 2002;Wachs, Pollitt, Cueto, Jacoby, & Creed-Kanashiro, 2005) and infancy (Lozoff et al, , 1998. Results from a recently completed study have also shown that lower levels of maternal hemoglobin during pregnancy and lower levels of neonatal iron stores (ferritin) are both linked to reduced intra-individual variability (lower reactivity) in infant temperament at 3 months of age .…”