Abstract
Objective: This study was conducted to examine the relation between iron status and neurobehavioral development in premature infants. Study Design: Infants born before 34 weeks postmenstrual age and who were medically stable were studied. Anemia was defined as hemoglobin ≤ 10 g/Dl and low iron stores as a serum ferritin concentration ≤75 μ g/l. The infants were classified as anemic with low ferritin (Group 1; n = 18), anemic with normal ferritin (Group 2; n = 14), and nonanemic with normal ferritin (Group 3; n = 21). A total of 18 reflexes were behaviorally evaluated at 37 weeks postmenstrual age and "reflex scores" were compared between the groups. Higher scores reflect a greater percentage of abnormal reflexes. Results: Infants in group 1 (anemia/low ferritin) had a significantly higher reflex score (51.45±18.32%) than infants in Group 3 (38.32±17.7596). Group 2 had an intermediate score (45.40± 21.70%), but not different from the other two groups. Conclusion: These data indicate that low iron status, both measured by anemia and ferritin levels, is related to poorer neurobehavioral status in premature infants.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 757-762 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Journal of Perinatology |
| Volume | 24 |
| Issue number | 12 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Dec 2004 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:Department of Pediatrics (R.A.-S., A.I.E.), Shaare-Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel; Hebrew University School of Medicine (A.I.E.), Jerusalem; Biochemistry Department (A.L.), Bnai-Zion Medical Center, Haifa, Israel; The Interdisciplinary Department of Social Sciences (D.S.), Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel; and Department of Psychology (S.Y.), Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel Supported in part by the Irving Harris Early Development Educational Program of the Shaare-Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
Funding
Department of Pediatrics (R.A.-S., A.I.E.), Shaare-Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel; Hebrew University School of Medicine (A.I.E.), Jerusalem; Biochemistry Department (A.L.), Bnai-Zion Medical Center, Haifa, Israel; The Interdisciplinary Department of Social Sciences (D.S.), Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel; and Department of Psychology (S.Y.), Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel Supported in part by the Irving Harris Early Development Educational Program of the Shaare-Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| Biochemistry Department | |
| Bnai-Zion Medical Center, Haifa, Israel | |
| Hebrew University School of Medicine | |
| Interdisciplinary Department of Social Sciences | |
| Shaare-Zedek Medical Center | |
| Department of Psychology, Western Washington University | |
| Bar-Ilan University |