Iron Supplements Given To Low Birth Weight Babies May Prevent Later Behavior Problems

December 10, 2012: 12:00 AM EST

Scientists in Sweden have found in a randomized, controlled study that administering iron supplements to low birth weight infants reduces the risk of behavior problems like attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) later in life. Researchers gave 285 marginally low birth weight infants either no iron, or one or two mg/kg a day of iron supplements, from six weeks to six months of age. When tested at age three-and-a-half, a significant effect from the iron supplements was found among the low birth weight babies. Nearly 13 percent who received no iron supplements showed signs of behavior problems, but only 2.9 percent in the 1-mg group and 2.7 percent of the 2-mg group.

Staffan K. Berglund et al., "Effects of Iron Supplementation of LBW Infants on Cognition and Behavior at 3 Years", Pediatrics, December 10, 2012, © American Academy of Pediatrics

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