In utero Iron Status and Auditory Neural Maturation in Infants of Iron Deficiency Anemic Mothers

Abstract

I ron deficiency is the most important cause of nutritional anemia and is the most common micronutrient deficiency worldwide, especially in developing countries. Iron is crucial to biologic functions including energy production, DNA synthesis and cell proliferation. Iron is required for many neurodevelopmental processes during the perinatal period. An active process of myelination mainly characterizes brain development and brain iron deficiency during this critical period of brain development will likely affect myelination. The auditory neural pathway is myelinated during the perinatal period and auditory neural myelination can serve as a surrogate for brain myelination. Little human data exists regarding in utero iron status and its concomitant effect on auditory neural myelination. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of maternal iron deficiency anemia and the in utero iron status on auditory neural myelination in neonates born to iron deficiency anemic mothers. This prospective study included 100 newborns (47 males and 53 females) delivered at the maternity hospital, Ain-Shams University during the period October 2014 to November 2015. They were classified into 2 groups: group I included 50 healthy newborn born to mothers without iron deficiency anemia as a control group and group II included 50 neonates born to mothers with iron deficiency anemia.