[Iron Deficiency and Psychomotor Development Tests. Longitudinal Study Between 10 Months and 4 Years of Age]

A longitudinal study of iron deficiency and of psychomotor development was carried out in 147 children followed between the ages of 10 months and 4 years in 2 well-baby out-patient clinics in Paris area. The tests used were those of Brunet-Lézine. The frequency of iron deficiency anemia was 22% at age 10 months, 9% at 2 years and 2% at 4 years. Ferritin blood levels were abnormally low in 35% of patients at 10 months of age, in 36% at 2 years and in 40% at 4 years. No significant correlation could be found between the Development Quotient (DQ) and biological data at the ages of 10 months and 4 years. On the other hand, at age 2, the mean DQ values were higher in children without deficiency than in those with deficiency with respect to the following biological parameters: hemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration. These differences persisted even after taking into account variables known to influence psychomotor development.