Deficiency of iron in children could be the cause of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Deficiency of iron in children could be the cause of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Researchers form the Hospital Robert Debre in Paris, found that iron deficiency causes abnormal functioning of the brain neurotransmitter dopamine and may contribute to the physiopathology of ADHD. They measured iron levels in 53 children with ADHD and in a comparison group of 27 matched children. Ferritin levels in blood were used to assess iron stores, and a standard rating scale measured the severity of ADHD symptoms.Forty-two (84 per cent) children with ADHD had abnormal ferritin levels as compared to five children (18 per cent) in the control group. Extremely low serum ferritin levels were found in 17 (32 per cent) ADHD subjects but only one of the matched kids. It was also found that the lower were the ferritin levels, the more severe were general ADHD symptoms, as well as specific mental deficits.
The researchers suggested that iron supplementation might improve dopamine activity in children with ADHD, decreasing the need for psychostimulants.
Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine,
December 2004
December 2004
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