Iron deficiency anemia in the United States affects mostly women of reproductive age, toddler and adolescents. Worldwide, iron deficiency affects as many as 80 percent of people, with as many as 30 percent having iron deficiency anemia, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements. Iron deficiency can cause central nervous system abnormalities that could have permanent effects, at least in the case of infants.
Causes
As many as 35 to 58 percent of North American women have some degree of iron deficiency during the reproductive years, when menstrual bleeding depletes iron stores each month, according to an article published by researchers from the University of Rochester in the March 2011 issue of "PLoS ONE." The number rises in pregnancy. Iron deficiency in infants may develop after age 6 months if their diet lacks iron, because prenatal iron stores are depleted. Toddlers may develop iron deficiency due to poor diet. Adolescents may develop anemia due to large growth spurts.
Symptoms
Although some of the most common symptoms of iron deficiency include fatigue, pallor, a shiny, swollen tongue, brittle nails, rapid heartbeat, poor appetite and shortness of breath on exertion, central nervous system effects can also occur, including irritability and low body temperature. Infants may have both mental and physical developmental delays.
Consequences
The effects of poor iron intake immediately before and during pregnancy on the developing fetus's brain and nervous system can have permanent consequences. An animal study conducted by the researchers from the University of Rochester found that iron deficiency before pregnancy and in the first trimester had the largest effect on rat development. In humans, the long-term effects of maternal iron deficiency and iron deficiency in infancy include language difficulties, poor coordination and motor function, behavioral changes, stroke and seizures. Restless leg syndrome can occur in adults as a result of central nervous system abnormalities, according to an article published in the 2005 "Journal of Sleep Research" by researchers from the Shimane University School of Medicine.
Treatment
Iron supplementation prevents iron deficiency. Adults between the ages of 19 and 50 need 8 mg for men and 18 mg for pre-menopausal women; adults over age 51 and children aged 9 to 13 need 8 mg. Teen boys need 11 mg per day and teen girls need 15 mg. Children aged 4 to 8 need 10 mg of iron per day, while toddler ages 1 to 3 need 7 mg. Infants between 7 and 12 months of age need 11 mg. During pregnancy, women need 27 mg of iron, although more than half get only 15 mg per day or less, the ODS reports. Compliance with taking iron pills, which have unpleasant side effects, including nausea and constipation, is as low as 50 percent even during pregnancy, according to the University of Rochester report.
References
- Office of Dietary Supplements: Iron
- "PLoS ONE"; Identifying a Window of Vulnerability During Fetal Development in a Maternal Iron Restriction Model; Camelia Mihaila, et al.; March 2011
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Evidence of Altered Central Nervous System Development in Infants with Iron Deficiency Anemia at 6 Mo: Delayed Maturation of Auditory Brainstem Responses; Manuel Roncagliolo, et al.; September 1998
- "Journal of Sleep Research"; CSF Iron, Ferritin and Transferrin Levels in Restless Legs Syndrome; S. Mizuno, et al.; March 2005
- MayoClinic.com; Iron Deficiency Anemia
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