Iron Deficiency Anemia in Infancy and Reach and Grasp Development

Overview

Journal Infant Behav Dev

Specialties Pediatrics
Social Sciences

Date 2009 Jul 14

PMID 19592115

Citations 14

Authors

Tal Shafir

Rosa Angulo-Barroso

Jing Su

Sandra W Jacobson

Betsy Lozoff

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

This study assessed 9 kinematic characteristics of infants' reach and grasp to test the hypothesis that iron deficiency anemia (IDA) delays upper extremity motor development. Reach and grasp movements, recorded with a 3D-motion capture system, were compared in 9- to 10-month-old infants (4 IDA vs. 5 iron-sufficient [IS]). Based on normative motor development data available for 6 characteristics, the results indicated poorer upper extremity control in IDA infants: 2 characteristics showed statistically significant group differences despite small n, and the other 4 had strong indications for such results (effect sizes [Cohen's d]>1.2). The remaining 3 measures, for which normative studies do not show developmental changes in this age period, showed significant or moderate-to-large effect differences. Poorer upper-extremity control in IDA infants in the short-term in this study and in the long-term despite iron therapy in other studies suggests that a motor intervention may be warranted when IDA is detected in infancy.

Citing Articles

Role of iron in brain development, aging, and neurodegenerative diseases.

Gao Q, Zhou Y, Chen Y, Hu W, Jin W, Zhou C Ann Med. 2025; 57(1):2472871.

PMID: 40038870 PMC: 11884104. DOI: 10.1080/07853890.2025.2472871.

Deletion of Transferrin Receptor 1 in Parvalbumin Interneurons Induces a Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia-Like Phenotype.

Xiong W, Jin L, Zhao Y, Wu Y, Dong J, Guo Z J Neurosci. 2023; 43(27):5092-5113.

PMID: 37308296 PMC: 10325000. DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2277-22.2023.

Reducing infantile anemia: insight on patterns of process and outcome indicators by ethnicity and socioeconomic class during a 10-year intervention program and 5 years after.

Meyerovitch J, Carmi D, Aviner S, Sherf M, Comaneshter D, Laks Y Isr J Health Policy Res. 2022; 11(1):2.

PMID: 34986880 PMC: 8734336. DOI: 10.1186/s13584-021-00510-9.

The Role of Iron in Brain Development: A Systematic Review.

McCann S, Perapoch Amado M, Moore S Nutrients. 2020; 12(7).

PMID: 32635675 PMC: 7400887. DOI: 10.3390/nu12072001.

Prevalence of iron deficiency anemia in Iranian children under 6 years of age: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Nazari M, Mohammadnejad E, Dalvand S, Gheshlagh R J Blood Med. 2019; 10:111-117.

PMID: 31118852 PMC: 6499484. DOI: 10.2147/JBM.S196102.

References

Lemon R, Johansson R, Westling G . Corticospinal control during reach, grasp, and precision lift in man. J Neurosci. 1995; 15(9):6145-56. PMC: 6577682. View

Beard J, Connor J . Iron status and neural functioning. Annu Rev Nutr. 2003; 23:41-58. DOI: 10.1146/annurev.nutr.23.020102.075739. View

Konczak J, Borutta M, Topka H, Dichgans J . The development of goal-directed reaching in infants: hand trajectory formation and joint torque control. Exp Brain Res. 1995; 106(1):156-68. DOI: 10.1007/BF00241365. View

Kuhtz-Buschbeck J, Stolze H, Johnk K, Boczek-Funcke A, Illert M . Development of prehension movements in children: a kinematic study. Exp Brain Res. 1998; 122(4):424-32. DOI: 10.1007/s002210050530. View

Fietzek U, Heinen F, Berweck S, Maute S, Hufschmidt A, Schulte-Monting J . Development of the corticospinal system and hand motor function: central conduction times and motor performance tests. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2000; 42(4):220-7. DOI: 10.1017/s0012162200000384. View

Ten Donkelaar H, Lammens M, Wesseling P, Hori A, Keyser A, Rotteveel J . Development and malformations of the human pyramidal tract. J Neurol. 2005; 251(12):1429-42. DOI: 10.1007/s00415-004-0653-3. View

Ortiz E, Pasquini J, Thompson K, Felt B, Butkus G, Beard J . Effect of manipulation of iron storage, transport, or availability on myelin composition and brain iron content in three different animal models. J Neurosci Res. 2004; 77(5):681-9. DOI: 10.1002/jnr.20207. View

Thelen E, Corbetta D, Spencer J . Development of reaching during the first year: role of movement speed. J Exp Psychol Hum Percept Perform. 1996; 22(5):1059-76. DOI: 10.1037//0096-1523.22.5.1059. View

Jackson K . Fitting of mathematical functions to biomechanical data. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng. 1979; 26(2):122-4. DOI: 10.1109/tbme.1979.326551. View

10.

Konczak J, Dichgans J . The development toward stereotypic arm kinematics during reaching in the first 3 years of life. Exp Brain Res. 1998; 117(2):346-54. DOI: 10.1007/s002210050228. View

11.

Shafir T, Angulo-Barroso R, Calatroni A, Jimenez E, Lozoff B . Effects of iron deficiency in infancy on patterns of motor development over time. Hum Mov Sci. 2006; 25(6):821-38. PMC: 1993818. DOI: 10.1016/j.humov.2006.06.006. View

12.

Corbetta D, Thelen E . A Method for Identifying the Initiation of Reaching Movements in Natural Prehension. J Mot Behav. 1995; 28(3):285-293. View

13.

Lozoff B, Georgieff M . Iron deficiency and brain development. Semin Pediatr Neurol. 2006; 13(3):158-65. DOI: 10.1016/j.spen.2006.08.004. View

14.

Newman C, Atkinson J, Braddick O . The development of reaching and looking preferences in infants to objects of different sizes. Dev Psychol. 2001; 37(4):561-72. DOI: 10.1037//0012-1649.37.4.561. View

15.

. Recommendations to prevent and control iron deficiency in the United States. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. MMWR Recomm Rep. 1998; 47(RR-3):1-29. View

16.

Gunnarsson B, Thorsdottir I, Palsson G, Gretarsson S . Iron status at 1 and 6 years versus developmental scores at 6 years in a well-nourished affluent population. Acta Paediatr. 2007; 96(3):391-5. DOI: 10.1111/j.1651-2227.2007.00086.x. View

17.

von Hofsten C, Ronnqvist L . Preparation for grasping an object: a developmental study. J Exp Psychol Hum Percept Perform. 1988; 14(4):610-21. DOI: 10.1037//0096-1523.14.4.610. View

18.

Roncagliolo M, Garrido M, Walter T, Peirano P, Lozoff B . Evidence of altered central nervous system development in infants with iron deficiency anemia at 6 mo: delayed maturation of auditory brainstem responses. Am J Clin Nutr. 1998; 68(3):683-90. DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/68.3.683. View

19.

Beard J, Wiesinger J, Connor J . Pre- and postweaning iron deficiency alters myelination in Sprague-Dawley rats. Dev Neurosci. 2003; 25(5):308-15. DOI: 10.1159/000073507. View

20.

Burden M, Westerlund A, Armony-Sivan R, Nelson C, Jacobson S, Lozoff B . An event-related potential study of attention and recognition memory in infants with iron-deficiency anemia. Pediatrics. 2007; 120(2):e336-45. PMC: 2735131. DOI: 10.1542/peds.2006-2525. View