Anaemia in pregnancy

During pregnancy adequate iron in a mother's blood is necessary for the development of her baby's brain. Iron is a mineral that is essential for the normal growth and development of an infant's brain probably from the time that it is in its mother's womb. Many studies have indicated that inadequate iron during early infancy and childhood is associated with a delay in mental and motor development. However conclusive research on its effect on the fetus of iron-deficient mothers is awaited. Exactly how iron may boost brainpower is not clear but studies in animals have shown that a lack of iron disrupts the brain's neurotransmitters. Researchers from the University of Alabama, Birmingham USA measured iron concentration in blood collected from the umbilical cords of 278 newborns. Subsequently at the age of 5yrs. these children underwent a series of tests to measure language ability, motor skills, attention and intelligence. Children with the lowest levels of iron were found to be nearly five times more likely to score poorly in tests measuring fine motor skills as compared with children whose blood iron concentration was in the middle range. Those children also had low scores on tests of language ability. At this point of time it is not clear whether taking an iron supplement during pregnancy would boost the mental and motor skills of children. If the results of further studies are positive the prevention of poor mental development by iron supplementation would then be a high priority in terms of public health policy. All pregnant women should adhere to the current recommendations of iron requirement or get themselves screened for iron deficiency. The study does not definitively implicate low iron stores at birth for developmental problems in childhood. It suggests the requirement of further studies to determine the effect of the pregnant mother's level of iron on the developing brain of her fetus.

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