QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Perez, E. M. Articles by Vernon-Feagans, L. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Perez, E. M. Articles by Vernon-Feagans, L.

---

Nutritional Epidemiology

Mother-Infant Interactions and Infant Development Are Altered by Maternal Iron Deficiency Anemia¹

Eva M. Perez, Michael K. Hendricks, John L. Beard^*,2, Laura E. Murray-Kolb^*, Astrid Berg, Mark Tomlinson, James Irlam, Washiefa Isaacs, T. Njengele, Alan Sive and Lynne Vernon-Feagans

School of Child and Adolescent Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; ^* Department of Nutritional Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA; and School of Education, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC

²To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: jbeard{at}psu.edu.

The aim of this study was to determine whether iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in young South African mothers alters mother-infant interactions and the infant’s development. The study was a prospective, randomized, controlled intervention trial with 3 groups of mothers: nonanemic controls and anemic mothers administered either placebo (25 mg ascorbic acid and 10 µg folate) or daily iron treatment (125 mg FeSO₄ plus ascorbate and folate). Mothers of full-term, normal birth weight infants (n = 81) were followed from 10 wk to 9 mo postpartum. Maternal iron status, socioeconomic level, mother-infant interaction [Parent/Caregiver Involvement Scale (PCIS scale)], and infant development (Griffiths scale) were assessed. At baseline, anemic mothers tended (P < 0.10) to be less responsive to, and more controlling of, their infants. Infants of anemic mothers were developmentally delayed at 10 wk in hand-eye movement and overall quotient. Despite normalization of maternal iron status with supplementation in some mothers, the developmental delays were not diminished at 9 mo. At 9 mo, anemic mothers were significantly more "negative" towards their babies, engaged less in goal setting, and were less "responsive" than control mothers. In contrast, the behavior of anemic mothers given iron treatment toward their children was similar to that of the control mothers on all 11 scales of the PCIS. In conclusion, IDA altered mother-child interactions at both 10 wk and 9 mo postpartum. Additionally, infants whose mothers were anemic in the early postpartum scored worse on developmental tests at 10 wk and 9 mo of age.

KEY WORDS: • iron • postpartum • infant • cognition • behavior • development

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A. L Frith, R. T Naved, E.-C. Ekstrom, K. M Rasmussen, and E. A Frongillo Micronutrient supplementation affects maternal-infant feeding interactions and maternal distress in Bangladesh Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, July 1, 2009; 90(1): 141 - 148. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. E Murray-Kolb and J. L Beard Iron deficiency and child and maternal health Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, March 1, 2009; 89(3): 946S - 950S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. M Black, A. H Baqui, K Zaman, S. E. Arifeen, and R. E Black Maternal depressive symptoms and infant growth in rural Bangladesh Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, March 1, 2009; 89(3): 951S - 957S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. L. Beard Why Iron Deficiency Is Important in Infant Development J. Nutr., December 1, 2008; 138(12): 2534 - 2536. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. J. Insel, C. A. Schaefer, I. W. McKeague, E. S. Susser, and A. S. Brown Maternal Iron Deficiency and the Risk of Schizophrenia in Offspring Arch Gen Psychiatry, October 1, 2008; 65(10): 1136 - 1144. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Steinmacher, F. Pohlandt, H. Bode, S. Sander, M. Kron, and A. R. Franz Randomized Trial of Early Versus Late Enteral Iron Supplementation in Infants With a Birth Weight of Less Than 1301 Grams: Neurocognitive Development at 5.3 Years' Corrected Age Pediatrics, September 1, 2007; 120(3): 538 - 546. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. C McCann and B. N Ames An overview of evidence for a causal relation between iron deficiency during development and deficits in cognitive or behavioral function Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, April 1, 2007; 85(4): 931 - 945. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. E Murray-Kolb and J. L Beard Iron treatment normalizes cognitive functioning in young women Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, March 1, 2007; 85(3): 778 - 787. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Khambalia, M. E. Latulippe, C. Campos, C. Merlos, S. Villalpando, M. F. Picciano, and D. L. O'Connor Milk Folate Secretion Is Not Impaired during Iron Deficiency in Humans J. Nutr., October 1, 2006; 136(10): 2617 - 2624. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]