Serum iron deficiency was associated with lower cognitive development in the children of the Santal tribe of West Bengal

Abstract

Aim Poor cognitive scores and low serum iron have been reported among chronically undernourished children from the Santal tribe, West Bengal. Our aim was to investigate the association between iron status and non‐verbal cognitive development. Methods We randomly selected 170 children (52.9% boys) aged 5‐12 years from the Purulia district of West Bengal during 2007‐2008 and assessed their iron status: haemoglobin concentration, serum concentration of iron, ferritin, transferrin, total iron‐binding capacity and transferrin saturation. Their non‐verbal cognitive development was assessed using the Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices. Results The haemoglobin concentration, serum iron, serum ferritin and transferrin saturation levels of the 27 children with an intellectual deficit and the 32 who had a below average intelligence quotient (IQ) were significantly lower (P < .05) than the 65 children with an average IQ. A large number of boys (55.6%) and girls (41.7%) who have an intellectual deficit had stage III iron depletion. The cognitive scores of children with stage II and III iron depletion were significantly lower (P < .05) than those with a normal IQ. Conclusion The iron depletion stage was associated with the severity of non‐verbal cognitive impairment and serum ferritin appeared to be a sensitive biomarker for predicting non‐verbal cognitive development.

Low height-for-age among Limbu and Mech children and adolescents from two districts of West Bengal, India

“…A study from semi-urban population of Hooghly district reported high prevalence of stunting (27%) among 11 to 18 yearold adolescent girls [10]. In Puruliya district of southwestern part of West Bengal, frequency of stunting was also high among 5 to 12 year old Santal boys (22%) and girls (14%) [21]. From the northern region in West Bengal, studies also reported high prevalence of stunting.…”

“…The study revealed that around 84% boys and 47% girls were stunted. Studies among children and adolescents from tribal communities also reported high prevalence of stunting from eastern and north-eastern India [17,18,19,20,21]. However, compared to the studies carried out in the communities living in urban and rural areas of India, reports from underprivileged sections of the society especially the tribal communities are relatively less.…”