Bledidoc Advice

Childhood is a crucial period characterized by physical and mental changes, such as rapid growth, weight gain and most importantly, the development of cognitive and psychomotor skills1. The growth and development of the central nervous system is rapid during the first years of life, consequently, iron is an essential element for this process. Indeed, several studies done on animals have shown that this micronutrient plays a role in many aspects of brain development, such as myelination and the functioning of neurotransmitters. As a result, there is a well-established association between early childhood iron intake and cognitive and behavioral performance in adulthood2.

Iron deficiency remains the most common micronutrient deficiency affecting children and causing neurocognitive function impairment (including reduced recognition of emotional and motor movements), some of which being irreversible even after iron supplementation3. In addition, iron is an essential component of hemoglobin (an erythrocyte protein that transfers oxygen from the lungs to tissues) and myoglobin (a protein that provides oxygen to the muscles)4. This makes the adequate intake of iron during childhood, a crucial element for the fetus, then for the infant and later on for the child: it is the stake to reach good brain and blood cell development5.

World Health Organization recommends 7 mg / day of iron intake for children aged 1 to 3 years and 10 mg for children aged 4 to 8 years4. This intake can be achieved through the consumption of iron-rich food in addition to food fortified with iron. WHO also advises not to exceed the recommended intake which is 40 mg / day, to avoid problems related to iron excess.

Dr Elie CHOUEIRY, Pediatrician, Intensive Care Specialist PICU HDF

Nutritionist Sara I. KARAKE, RD, MSc in Sports and Physiology Nutrition

Dr. Raymond N. HADDAD, Senior Resident in Pediatrics at Hôtel-Dieu de France

^{1-Jennifer Hilger, Tatiana Goerig et al. Micronutrient Intake in Healthy Toddlers: A Multinational Perspective. Nutrients, 2015; 7(8):6938-6955. doi: 10.3390/nu7085316.}

^{2- Domellöf, Magnus; Braegger, Christian et al. Iron requirements of infants and toddlers. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr, 2014; 58(1):119-129. doi: 10.1097/MPG.0000000000000206.}

^{3- Kristen Finn, Cheryl Callen et al. Importance of Dietary Sources of Iron in Infants and Toddlers: Lessons from the FITS Study. Nutrients. 2017 Jul 11;9(7). pii: E733. doi: 10.3390/nu9070733.}

^{4- National Institute of Health. Iron. Fact Sheet for Health Professionals, 2019.}

^{5- Georgieff MK. Iron assessment to protect the developing brain. Am J Clin Nutr. 2017 Dec;106(Suppl 6):1588S-1593S. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.117.155846.}