Discuss the short- and long-term consequences of iron deficiency in children on behavior and on school performance

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Iron deficiency has well-known and widespread effects on children's behavior and intellectual performance. In addition to carrying oxygen in the blood, iron transports oxygen within cells, which use it during energy metabolism. Iron is also used to make neurotransmitters—most notably, those that regulate the ability to pay attention, which is crucial to learning. Consequently, iron deficiency not only causes an energy crisis, but also directly impairs attention span and learning ability.

Iron deficiency is often diagnosed by a quick, easy, inexpensive hemoglobin or hematocrit test that detects a deficit of iron in the blood. A child's brain, however, is sensitive to low iron concentrations long before the blood effects appear. Iron deficiency lowers the motivation to persist in intellectually challenging tasks and impairs overall intellectual performance. Anemic children perform poorly on tests and are disruptive in the classroom; iron supplementation improves learning and memory. When combined with other nutrient deficiencies, iron-deficiency anemia has synergistic effects that are especially detrimental to learning. Furthermore, children who had iron-deficiency anemia as infants continue to perform poorly as they grow older, even if their iron status improves. The long-term damaging effects on mental development make prevention and treatment of iron deficiency during infancy and early childhood a high priority.