Adding iron to food or giving kids iron pills is seen by health experts as a good and affordable way to help children’s brains develop properly and avoid thinking or learning problems.

Giving iron pills to kids who aren’t anemic doesn’t seem to make them smarter, better at remembering things, or more focused — their brain skills stay about the same.

Giving kids iron supplements doesn’t reliably make them smarter or do better in school — even if their bodies absorb the iron, it doesn’t usually lead to noticeable improvements in how they think or learn.