The Impact of Iron Deficiency Anemia and Its Treatment on Cognitive and Behavioral Development in Children: A Comprehensive Review

Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA) has a significant impact on the behavioral and cognitive development of children, and it is one of the most prevalent nutritional deficiencies worldwide, primarily affecting infants, young children, and adolescents. Iron plays a crucial role in brain growth, myelination, neurotransmitter metabolism, and energy metabolism, particularly during the fast neurodevelopmental period of the first two years of life. Several studies reported that children with IDA have impaired attention span, poor memory, poor academic performance, delayed language acquisition, reduced problem-solving abilities, and lower scores in intelligence tests compared to their iron-sufficient peers. Longitudinal research concluded that early untreated IDA leads to irreversible changes in brain structure and function that persist into adolescence, even after hematological recovery. Early prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of IDA are vital to safeguard optimal brain development and ensure children reach their full cognitive and behavioral potential. Addressing this issue requires a combination of nutritional interventions, supplementation programs, and caregiver education to reduce its lifelong impact. This review emphasizes the existing proof and evidence on the significant implications of IDA on the developing brain, clarifying the neurobiological mechanisms and establishing cognitive and behavioral deficits, evaluating the effectiveness of treatments, and discussing public health implications for prevention and early intervention by enhancing maternal health, providing nutritional education, and offering targeted supplementation.