Preschool-aged children with iron deficiency anemia show altered affect and behavior

Betsy Lozoff, Feyza Corapci, Matthew J. Burden, Niko Kaciroti, Rosa Angulo-Barroso, Sunil Sazawal, Maureen Black

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

72 Scopus citations

Abstract

This study compared social looking and response to novelty in preschool-aged children (47-68 mo) with or without iron deficiency anemia (IDA). Iron status of the participants from a low-income community in New Delhi, India, was based on venous hemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume, and red cell distribution width. Children's social looking toward adults, affect, and wary or hesitant behavior in response to novelty were assessed in a semistructured paradigm during an inhome play observation. Affect and behavior were compared as a function of iron status: IDA (n = 74) vs. nonanemic (n = 164). Compared with nonanemic preschoolers, preschoolers with IDA displayed less social looking toward their mothers, moved close to their mothers more quickly, and were slower to display positive affect and touch novel toys for the first time. These results indicate that IDA in the preschool period has affective and behavioral effects similar to those reported for IDA in infancy.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)683-689
Number of pages7
JournalJournal of Nutrition
Volume137
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 2007
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Medicine (miscellaneous)
  • Nutrition and Dietetics

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