Why iron matters for kids' brains
Iron Deficiency, Cognitive Functions, and Neurobehavioral Disorders in Children
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Kids under 7 need lots of iron to grow their brains right. If they don't get enough, their thinking, moving, and focusing can get worse, and they're more likely to have ADHD or autism. Giving them iron in food or pills helps a lot and doesn't cost much.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 51 / 5
Evidence Score
Based on clinical experience or non-systematic literature reviews. The lowest level of evidence as they are most susceptible to bias and personal perspective.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Kids under 7 need lots of iron to grow their brains right. If they don't get enough, their thinking, moving, and focusing can get worse, and they're more likely to have ADHD or autism. Giving them iron in food or pills helps a lot and doesn't cost much.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 51 / 5
Evidence Score
Based on clinical experience or non-systematic literature reviews. The lowest level of evidence as they are most susceptible to bias and personal perspective.
Publication
Journal
Journal of Molecular Neuroscience
Year
2019
Authors
L. Pivina, Yu O Semenova, Monica Daniela Doşa, M. Dauletyarova, Geir Bjorklund
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Claims (6)
If your body doesn't get enough iron or B12 over a long time, you might feel foggy-headed and less motivated to get things done.
Kids who don’t have enough iron in their blood are often the same kids who have trouble paying attention or who behave in ways linked to ADHD or autism.
When kids under 7 don’t have enough iron in their blood, it can make it harder for them to think clearly and move smoothly, because their brains aren’t getting the right materials to grow and work properly.
If a baby doesn't get enough iron, it might also miss out on other important nutrients, and that could make their brain and organs grow slower or not as well.
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.