Home intervention improves cognitive and social-emotional scores in iron-deficient anemic infants

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Iron-deficiency anemia (IDA) is associated with alterations in infant behavior and development that may not be corrected with iron therapy. OBJECTIVE: To determine if a home-based intervention to foster child development improves behavior and development of infants with IDA. METHODS: Infants with IDA and nonanemic infants aged 6 and 12 months were treated with oral iron and randomly assigned to a year of surveillance or intervention. Infants in the surveillance group were visited weekly, and information on iron intake, feeding, and health were recorded. Infants in the intervention were visited weekly, and the home visits included an hour-long program to foster child development by providing support to the mother-infant relationship. The number of infants enrolled was 128 (66 who received intervention) and 149 (70 intervention) at 6 and 12 months, respectively. Psychologists who were unaware of iron status and intervention assignment assessed infants' cognitive, motor, and s